Former guerrilla will be Colombia’s president
Gustavo Petro, a former rebel who rallied young and poor voters with promises to transform an unequal society, was elected Colombia’s first leftist president on Sunday, local time, in a resounding rejection of the political establishment that has ruled the South American nation for two centuries.
Petro received more than 50% of the vote, according to preliminary results, riding a wave of support from Colombians desperate for change in a country struggling with high levels of poverty. The 62-year-old senator defeated outsider candidate Rodolfo Hernández, a wealthy businessman who garnered about 47% of the vote in a race initially expected to be tight.
Colombia, the third-largest nation in Latin America, now becomes the latest country to shift left in a region ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic’s economic assault.
Petro’s triumph, in one of the most historically conservative countries on the continent, is a stunning example of how widespread discontent has shaken the status quo.
His win is remarkable not only because of his political ideology but also because of his life story: A former clandestine guerrilla, who served time in prison in the 1980s for his involvement with a rebel group, will now become president in a country still reeling from armed criminal violence. His presidency could have profound implications for Colombia’s economic model, role of government, and its relationship with other countries in the hemisphere – including the United States, its most important ally.
‘‘Today is a party for the people,’’ Petro said.
Petro’s campaign galvanised communities struggling from the pandemic in a country where half the population doesn’t have enough to eat and 40% are living in poverty. His campaign tapped into the desperation and anger of those who took to the streets last year in massive nationwide protests. And his victory is a loud rebuke of the deeply unpopular administration of incumbent Iván Duque, who many felt did little to improve the economic situation in one of the region’s most unequal countries.
Voters also made history in electing the country’s first black female vice president, Francia Má rquez, an environmental activist, lawyer and former housekeeper who energised a large AfroColombian community that long felt forgotten by those in power.
But some fear that Petro’s policies, including his proposal to ban new oil exploration, could destroy Colombia’s economy. Others say a Petro presidency could test the country’s long-running but fragile democracy. He has said he would declare an economic state of emergency to combat hunger if elected, a proposal criticised by some constitutional law experts.
Analysts worry about his willingness to work around Congress and other democratic institutions to push through his agenda. Others predict he will not be able to deliver on his promises with a divided legislature. As mayor of Bogotá , Petro oversaw a slew of staff departures and was criticised for refusing to listen to his advisers.
‘‘The question is whether the institutions will also be able to moderate that and hold him accountable,’’ said Sandra Botero, a political scientist at Colombia’s Rosario University.
Petro proposes transforming the country’s economic system by redistributing wealth to the poor. He says he will establish free higher education, a universal public health-care system and a minimum wage for single mothers. He says he would raise taxes on the 4000 wealthiest Colombians and boost the local agriculture industry. –