Colombia Presidential Elections move to a Second Round

WTF is Going on in Latin America & The Caribbean

Todays’ episode: Colombia Presidential Elections move to a Second Round

Guest Raul Burbano, Executive Director of Common Frontiers based in Toronto.

Background:

Two anti-establishment candidates, Gustavo Petro, a centrist and Rodolfo Hernández, a right-wing populist, captured the top two spots in Colombia’s presidential election on May 29 delivering a stunning blow to Colombia’s dominant conservative political class.

The two men will compete in a runoff election on June 19 that is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in the country’s history. At stake is the country’s economic vision, the restoration of democratic integrity and the livelihoods of millions of people pushed into poverty during the pandemic, particularly women and children.

With more than 99 percent of the ballots counted on Sunday evening, Mr. Petro received more than 40 percent of the vote, while Mr. Hernández received just over 28 percent. Mr. Hernández beat by more than four percentage points the conservative establishment candidate, Federico Gutiérrez, who had been polling in second place.

Mr. Hernández’s unexpected second-place victory shows a nation hungry to elect anyone who is not represented by the country’s mainstream conservative leaders.

If Mr. Petro ultimately wins in the second round of voting, it would mark a watershed moment for one of the most politically conservative societies in Latin America, and allow Colombians to build a new future.

Additional Links:

Common Frontiers Preliminary Impressions of Colombia's 2022 Presidential Elections

Rabble joins the Colombian Electoral Accompaniment Delegation

In partnership with Friends of Latin America, Massachusetts Peace Action and Task Force on the Americas, original broadcasts of WTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean can be viewed every Wednesday at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET on CODEPINK YouTube Live