Duque wins Colombian presidential election
BOGOTA• Ivan Du que, the young conservative protege of a powerful former Colombian president, was poised Sunday to become the country’s next president after promising to roll back a still fragile peace accord.
The 41-year-old Duque captured 54 per cent of the votes, putting him more than 12 points ahead of leftist former guerrilla Gustavo Petro in a tense election run-off that divided many Colombians during a critical juncture in the nation’s history. More than 97 per cent of polling stations were reporting results.
The prematurely greying Duque galvanized voters by promising to change parts of the accord with leftist rebels but not “shred it to pieces.” He would be the youngest president in Colombia in more than a century.
“I’ve come here to fulfil a dream,” Duque said outside his voting centre Sunday. “For Colombia to be governed by a new generation, one that wants to govern for all and with. One that unites the country and turns the page on corruption.”
The new president will inherit a country still scarred by more than five decades of bloody conflict and grappling with soaring coca production. Former guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia are struggling to reinsert themselves in civilian life in a nation where many people remain hesitant to forgive. Vast swaths of remote territory remain under the control of violent drug mafias and residual rebel bands.
“Undoubtedly, for the peace process, this is an important test,” said Patricia Munoz, a professor of political science at the Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogota.
It was the first presidential election since the signing of the peace agreement ending Latin America’s longestrunning conflict and was as much about the accord as it was deeply entrenched issues such as corruption and inequality.
Petro galvanized young voters and drew millions to public plazas with his fiery speeches vowing to improve the lives of poor, disenfranchised Colombians.
And though he failed to catch Duque, his candidacy marked the biggest ballot box success for a leftist presidential contender in Colombia’s history. Conservative candidates dominated Colombia’s elections during years of conflict in which leftist politicos were stigmatized amid fears of potential ties to guerrilla causes.
“I don’t think there is a single Colombian who thinks things are going well today,” Petro said after casting his ballot with his young daughter in hand.
Colombia’s peace process to end years of conflict between leftist rebels, the state and right-wing paramilitary groups that left more than 250,000 people dead is considered largely irreversible. Last year the rebels launched a new political party and will soon occupy 10 seats in congress.