Former rebel Gustavo Petro won a second round of elections in front of a foreign political millionaire on Sunday, ushering in a new political era for Colombia by becoming the country’s first left-wing president.
Petro, senator in his third attempt to get the presidency, got 50.48% of the vote, while real estate mogul Rodolfo Hernandez got 47.26%, with almost all the ballots counted, according to published results by the electoral authorities.
Petro’s victory underscored a drastic shift in presidential policy for a country that has long marginalized the left because of its perceived association with armed conflict. Petro himself was once a rebel with the defunct M-19 movement and was granted amnesty after being imprisoned for his involvement with the group.
“Today is a holiday for the people. May they celebrate the first popular victory, “Petro tweeted.” May so much suffering be dampened in the joy that floods the heart of the Fatherland today.
Petro called for unity during his victory speech and extended an olive branch to some of his harshest critics, saying all members of the opposition will be welcome at the “presidential palace” to discuss the problems. of Colombia “.
“From this beginning government there will never be political persecution or legal persecution, there will only be respect and dialogue,” he said, adding that he will listen not only to those who have taken up arms but also to that silent majority of peasants. , indigenous people, women, young people ”.
Outgoing Conservative President Iván Duque congratulated Petro shortly after the results were announced, and Hernández quickly acknowledged his defeat.
Former midfielder Gustavo Petro, left, his wife Veronica Alcocer, center-back, and teammate Francia Marquez celebrate in front of his supporters after winning a second round of the presidential election.AP Photo / Fernando Vergara
“I accept the result, as it should be, if we want our institutions to be firm,” Hernandez said in a video on social media. “I sincerely hope that this decision will benefit everyone.”
Colombia also chose its first black woman to be vice president. Petro’s co-worker, Francia Márquez, is a lawyer and environmental leader whose opposition to illegal mining has led to threats and a grenade attack in 2019.
The vote came amid widespread discontent over rising inequality, inflation and violence, which led voters in the first round of elections last month to turn their backs on centrist politicians and of long-standing rights and to choose two outsiders in the third most populous place in Latin America. nation.
Petro’s performance was the left’s last political victory in Latin America fueled by voters’ desire for change. Chile, Peru and Honduras have elected left-wing presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election.
“What I do believe is that the strategy of fear, hatred and stigmatization of the left no longer works as a policy to win voters,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, senior Colombian analyst at the International Crisis Group.
The confetti explodes on a screen showing photos of presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, on the left, and his formula partner Francia Marquez after winning a second round of elections at election night headquarters in Bogota, Colombia.AP Photo / Fernando Vergara
But the results were an immediate cause for concern for some voters whose closest reference to a left-wing government is the troubled neighboring Venezuela.
“We hope that Mr. Gustavo Petro will fulfill what was said in his government plan, that he will lead this country to the greatness that we need so much, and that (he) will end corruption,” said Karin Ardila Garcia, a supporter. of Hernández in the north-central city of Bucaramanga. “Let it not lead to communism, to socialism, to a war where we are still being killed in Colombia. … (He) does not take us to another Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, Chile ”.
About 21.6 million of the 39 million eligible voters voted Sunday. Abstention has been above 40% in all presidential elections since 1990.
Petro, 62, will be officially declared the winner after a formal count that will last a few days. Historically, preliminary results have coincided with finals.
Several heads of state congratulated Petro on Sunday. So did a fierce critic, former President Alvaro Uribe, who remains a central figure in Colombian politics.
Polls ahead of the second round had indicated that Petro and Hernandez, both former mayors, have been on a tight run since they led four other candidates in the May 29 initial election. Neither of them got enough votes to win directly and headed for the second round.
Petro won 40% of the vote in the initial round and Hernández 28%, but the gap quickly narrowed as Hernandez began to attract so-called anti-petition voters.
Petro has proposed ambitious pension, tax, health and agricultural reforms and changes in the way Colombia fights drug cartels and other armed groups. But it will be difficult for him to keep his promises as he does not have a majority in Congress, which is key to carrying out the reforms.
“People who support him have high hopes, and he’ll probably be disappointed quickly when he can’t move things right away,” said Adam Isacson, a Colombian expert in the Washington Office for Latin America’s think tank. .
A supporter celebrates after former left-wing rebel Gustavo Petro won a second round in the presidential election in Cali, Colombia.AP Photo / Andres Quintero
“I think you might find yourself in a situation where you have to make some deals and give up a lot of your programs just to get some things approved or the whole country could get stuck,” Isacson added.
Petro is ready to resume diplomatic relations with Venezuela, which were halted in 2019. He also wants to make changes in Colombia’s relations with the United States seeking a renegotiation of a free trade agreement and new solutions in the fight against drug trafficking. .
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the Biden administration hopes to work with Petro.
Hernandez, who made money in real estate, is not affiliated with any major political party and rejected alliances. His austere campaign, carried out mainly on TikTok and other social media platforms, was self-funded and based mainly on the fight against corruption, which he blamed for poverty and the loss of state resources that could be used in social programs. .
Polls say most Colombians believe the country is going in the wrong direction and disapprove of Duque, who was not eligible for re-election. The pandemic has delayed efforts against the country’s poverty for at least a decade. Official figures show that 39% of Colombia’s population lived on less than $ 89 a month last year.
The usual rejection of politics “is a reflection of the fact that people are fed up with the same people as always,” said Nataly Amezquita, a 26-year-old road engineer waiting to vote. “We need to create greater social change. Many people in the country are not in the best condition. “
But even the two foreign candidates left her cold. He said he would vote blank: “I don’t like either candidate. I don’t think I’m a good person.”