Colombia Presidential Elections move to a Second Round

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





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