It is the first time in the history of Colombia that the left has achieved such a score in the first round of a presidential election. On Sunday, candidate Gustavo Petro, 62, came out on top with 40.34% of the vote. But the second round is far from certain. Creating the surprise, his challenger Rodolfo Hernández, a populist millionaire, who presents himself as an anti-corruption outsider, obtained 28.1% of the vote. He should benefit in the second round from the postponement of the votes of the traditional right candidate Federico Gutiérrez, who came in third position, with 23.7% of the vote. Quickly admitting defeat, he explained « that Gustavo Petro represented a danger to democracy, freedoms, the economy, our families, our children » and announced his direct support for Rodolfo Hernández.
Colombians will therefore have to choose on June 19 between two candidates who both campaigned on the theme of change and the fight against corruption, but who are the antithesis of each other. Gustavo Petro, ex-guerrilla, former mayor of Bogotá, deputy and senator, has opposed the governing political class for thirty years. He denounced all its alliances, whether with paramilitaries or drug traffickers. He has the stature of a real politician, proposes social and progressive reforms even if he is hated by some Colombians for whom the left is intrinsically a danger.
« It’s about building a front »
Rodolfo Hernández, a sort of Colombian-style Donald Trump, made a fortune by selling social housing on credit – without going through banks. Surfing on the theme “all rotten”, he went from 9.6% of voting intentions in April to more than 28% of the vote… by campaigning mainly on TikTok and not participating in any of the televised debates the last week before the election. He proposes, in essence, to put all the corrupt in prison, to reward those who denounce them by giving them 20% of the sums recovered or to close the consulates and embassies to save money.
We also heard him explain that, if he had said in 2016 on the radio that he was an admirer « of a great German thinker like Hitler », it was in fact a slip… Not to mention the insults, the insults that he never hesitates to launch. to celebrate his qualification, Rodolfo Hernández simply posted a video on his Facebook account from his luxurious property in Bucaramanga where he claims that his score represents the defeat of the « politics » and of “those who thought they would rule forever”.
His position as a candidate « independent » will it last the remaining three weeks before the second round knowing that Federico Gutiérrez, who represents the continuity of the current government of Iván Duque and the policy of former president Alvaro Uribe, immediately gave him his support? All the polls taken before the first round showed that Gustavo Petro would have largely beaten Federico Gutiérrez in the second round, but not Rodolfo Hernández.
« Decisive moment »
At the Tequendama hotel in the center of Bogotá, headquarters of the Historic Pact, a coalition led by Gustavo Petro, the victory therefore had a somewhat bitter taste on Sunday evening. « We won, today is a day of triumph », he launched on the stage. But everyone’s joy seemed a little forced. “It’s about building a front, seeing what we’re going to do with Colombia, what society wants to do with its own country. What would this change consist of? chased the winner of the first round.
« I’m afraid, confided shortly before Juan Diego, a 26-year-old student. We will have to seek votes from those who did not vote. But I am disappointed with electoral politics, it is always the same system that wins in the end. Turnout reached nearly 54%, which is quite high in Colombia where abstention is still very high.
« This is a decisive moment for the popular movement, but there have been mistakes in the campaign », points out for his part Mauricio, believing that it was perhaps necessary to seek « the electorate in the poorer classes » and not necessarily making so many alliances with politicians from traditional parties. But « there is hope », wants to convince Carlos, a 31-year-old activist.
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