Petro, 62, secured about 700,000 more votes than Hernandez, 77. After turning his back on the armed struggle, former guerrilla Petro was a diplomat in Belgium and mayor of the capital Bogotá, among other things. It aims at far-reaching reforms, including taxes for the rich, an emergency hunger program and the promotion of renewable energy.
“Colombia is changing today,” Petro told supporters. He promised “a policy of love, understanding and dialogue”. The change he promised was “leaving hate behind”. The presidential election showed that there are “two Colombias” with similar votes. “We want Colombia to be a Colombia, despite all its diversity,” said Petro.
Hernandez admits defeat
Hernandez admitted defeat. “Most of the citizens who voted today voted for the other candidate,” Hernández said in a video message. “I accept the result.”
Current president Ivan Duque recognized the electoral victory of the former guerrilla member of the M-19 Petro. “I called Gustavo Petro to congratulate him as president-elect of the Colombian people,” conservative Duque wrote on Twitter. “We agreed to meet in the coming days to begin a smooth, institutional and transparent transition.”
Various incidents on election day
Before polls closed on Sunday, there were some incidents in the former country of civil war. In San Vicente del Caguan, a soldier was killed in an attack by a splinter group of the FARC guerrilla organization, according to the newspaper “El Tiempo”. An election official was shot dead in the department of Cauca. A total of 104 irregularities were reported, according to independent election observers.
Security forces arrested a total of nine suspects in different regions of the South American country, including a leader of the ELN rebel group and a supporter of FARC dissidents. More than 300,000 police and soldiers were deployed to protect voters, election officials and candidates.
Only former guerrilla Petro and multimillion-dollar real estate entrepreneur Hernandez competed in the second round. Petro was long considered a favorite, but recently Hernandez, previously unknown, tied in the polls.
Big challenges
The challenges for the future head of state are great: the second most populous country in South America, with around 50 million inhabitants, is suffering the economic consequences of the pandemic, great social injustice and violence. The incumbent Conservative government implemented the peace treaty with the leftist FARC rebels only without much enthusiasm.
According to the announcements, Petro (62) wants to pacify the country, slow down the exploitation of raw materials, promote tourism and tax companies more heavily. Little was known about Hernández’s plans (77). He wanted to act against corruption, although he himself is being investigated for corruption.
America’s Most Important Partner Against Drug Trafficking
For the United States, however, Colombia is the most important ally in the fight against drug trafficking. The South American country is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, which is shipped mainly to the United States and Europe. Colombia works closely with the US to combat drug smuggling and receives millions of dollars annually for cooperation in the war against drug trafficking criminals. US President Joe Biden congratulated Petro on the victory.
For 52 years, Colombia has suffered from a bloody civil war between left-wing rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and state security forces. 220,000 people lost their lives and millions were displaced. In 2016, the government signed a peace treaty with the leftist FARC guerrillas, and hopes for a recovery were high. But violence is back, especially in rural areas.
Alongside Petro, vice president-elect Francia Marquez, an Afro-Colombian human rights activist and environmentalist, will lead the state. She fought against illegal gold mining in the Cauca region, which was particularly hit by violence, and was threatened several times. In 2018, she received the prestigious Goldman Award for her struggle.