The Colombian candidate, this Sunday during the closing of the campaign in Bogotá, where he gathered thousands of people, Iván Valencia
Colombia is entering a crucial week. Within seven days, citizens begin to choose the direction of the country. Never before have such antagonistic nation models faced each other so openly. The only one to have secured passage to the second round is Gustavo Petro, the left-wing candidate who has channeled dissatisfaction with what appears to be an exhausted form of government that has been called into question by last year’s protests. His rival wanted to be Fico Gutiérrez, the chosen one of the right, the Medellin politician trusted by the establishment to stop the left leader. On the horizon, however, loomed Rodolfo Hernández, a vulgar, populist rival who has come dangerously close to Gutiérrez in the polls. In these missing days, when it is already banned from posting polls and holding public meetings, the two will fight in the dark to get to the next vote. The big favorite is waiting for them there, who ended his election campaign this Sunday in Bogotá with a sentence that he uttered in the more than 100 rallies he has given in these two months: “My name is Gustavo Petro and I am want to be your president.”
The 62-year-old, who says goodbye so ceremoniously, trusts that everything will be over on Sunday. They need an absolute majority to immediately declare themselves the winner. Only Álvaro Uribe Vélez had previously managed a similar feat, who, like Petro, sold himself as an outsider far removed from the traditional parties and their politics during his days as a candidate. For now, the polls show he’s halfway to achieving it. He should score about seven points in voting intent to have options, which isn’t easy for him since he’s one of the most well-known characters in the country and who people tend to have a very robust opinion of, either for or against. His discourse focuses on recent times and he is increasingly less associated with Castrochavism and the dogmatic left. His staging in Bogotá this Sunday confirmed all of this. Appearing before the public, an acrobat crossed Simón Bolívar Square on a zip line holding a Colombian flag and holding it in his hands.
The former M-19 guerrilla waved like a patriot. Then, surrounded by bodyguards with bulletproof shields to prevent an assassination, he stressed the importance of what is to come: “The time has come. We don’t need guns like these or pointing a tear gas gun at anyone. Not all guns together could change history like a pen. A pen is more important than a gun and we will prove it.” “On Sunday,” he added, “we will change the history of Colombia.” He again referred to an alleged conspiracy to postpone the elections and prevent his victory, which has already been denied by the government and is also impossible with the current constitution.
Independent presidential candidate, former mayor of Bucaramanga Rodolfo Hernández greets his supporters during his visit to Piedecuesta MARCO VALENCIA (EFE)
However, he looks at Hernández out of the corner of his eye. He doesn’t want it in the second round. In his speech, Petro repeatedly referred to the fight against corruption, the banner of the former mayor of Bucaramanga. His victory in the first round is not jeopardized by the entrepreneur’s rise, it does not take any votes away from him. Voters for this unique character come from Fajardo, the center candidate, abstentions, blank votes and a small percentage of Fico, as can be seen in the Atlas Intelligence survey. But with him in the second round, Petro couldn’t accuse him of being the continuity as he does it non-stop with Fico to demobilize his potential constituency. In short, Hernández generates more fear because of its mystery, its volatility.
Hernández ended his campaign in his native town of Piedecuesta, where his 98-year-old mother still runs a sugar factory. The curious thing is that he entered via videoconference and made a very short speech, barely seven minutes long (Petro, who is not characterized by his ability to synthesize, spoke for two hours in Bogotá). Enough to show their ways and intentions. Hernández, in his usual folksy tone, complained about the “corrupt politicians” and assumed that he would become president. When that all seemed to be, he appeared in person and pocketed his countrymen. In his only attempt at politics before that, in 2016, he won the Bucaramanga mayoralty when the polls gave him just 4% of voting intent. He is convinced that the same can happen to him now.
First he has to defeat Fico, who until a few days ago was the only one who seemed able to face Petro. Fico closed his city of Medellín, where he took action against the favorite and against that city’s mayor, Daniel Quintero, who was suspended by the Attorney General’s Office – in a very questionable decision – for standing up for Petro. Gutiérrez has the backing of big business, of national heroes like Egan Bernal, but he’s not finished yet. It has stagnated at just over 20% almost since the start of the race. He needs a real growth spurt to first stop Rodolfo’s rise and second bring Petro down. He has extra help. The Legionnaires of the Divine Blood of Christ, a Catholic group, gave him an infant Jesus identical to the one they gave to Iván Duque, the current president, four years earlier during the election campaign. According to them, he was blessed.
Colombian presidential candidate Federico Gutiérrez greets his supporters as he takes to the stage to deliver his closing speech for the election campaign. Medellin, Colombia, May 22, 2022. Santiago Mesa
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