Peter, a senator in his third attempt to win the presidency, had 50.47 per cent of the vote, while real estate tycoon Rodolfo Hernandez had 47.27 per cent, with almost all ballots counted, according to the results. to the public by the electoral authorities. Peter’s victory underscored a drastic change in presidential policy for a country that has long marginalized the left because of its perceived relationship to armed conflict. “Today is a day of celebration for the people. Let them celebrate the first popular victory,” Petros wrote on Twitter. “So much suffering to soften in the joy that today floods the heart of the Homeland.” Petros was once a rebel with the now-disbanded M-19 movement and was granted amnesty after being jailed for his involvement with the group. The confetti flows into the headquarters of Petro’s election night in Bogota on Sunday. (Fernando Vergara / The Associated Press) At its headquarters in the capital Bogota, a message on a screen read, “Gracias Colombia” or “Thank you Colombia.” Outgoing Conservative President Ivan Duce congratulated Peter shortly after the results were announced, and Hernandez quickly conceded defeat. “I accept the result, as it should be, if we want our institutions to be stable,” Hernandez said in a video on social media. “I sincerely hope that this decision is beneficial for everyone.”
“People are bored”
The vote came amid widespread resentment over rising inequality, inflation and violence – factors that led voters in the first round to turn their backs on center-right and right-wing politicians and choose two foreigners in Latin America’s third most populous country. Petro’s performance was the last left-wing political victory in Latin America fueled by the desire of voters for change. Chile, Peru and Honduras have elected left-wing presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is ahead of opinion polls for this year’s presidential election. About 21.6 million of the 39 million eligible voters cast their ballots Sunday. Abstention is over 40 percent in all presidential elections since 1990. Petro supporters celebrate in Bogota on Sunday. (Fernando Vergara / The Associated Press) Petros, 62, will be officially declared the winner after an official count that will last a few days. Historically, the preliminary results coincide with the final ones. Polls before the run-off showed that Petro and Hernandez – both former mayors – were in a tough race after beating four other candidates in the May 29 primary, although neither received enough votes to win definitively and move on. in the second round. Petro has proposed ambitious pension, tax, health and agricultural reforms, as well as changes in the way Colombia fights drug cartels and other armed groups. A voter votes in Bogota on Sunday. (Guillermo Legaria / Getty Images) He won 40 percent of the vote in last month’s election and Hernandez 28 percent, but the gap quickly narrowed as Hernandez began to attract so-called anti-Petrista voters. Peter will find it difficult to keep his promises, as he does not have a majority in Congress, which is the key to reform. In the recent parliamentary elections, Petro’s political movement won 20 seats in the Senate, pluralism, but had to make concessions in negotiations with other parties. Hernandez, who made his money from real estate, has no affiliation with any major political party and has rejected alliances. His lean campaign, conducted mainly on TikTok and other social media platforms, was self-funded and relied mainly on the fight against corruption, which he blames for poverty and the loss of state resources that could be used in social programs. Presidential candidate Rodolfo Hernandez is stepping down after voting in a Bucaramanga constituency on Sunday. (Santiago Arcos / Reuters) Hernandez rose slowly in the first round campaign beyond more conventional candidates and shocked many when he finished second. He argued that he admired Adolf Hitler before apologizing and that he wanted to refer to Albert Einstein. Polls suggest most Colombians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction and disapprove of Duke, who had no right to run for re-election. The pandemic has delayed the country’s anti-poverty efforts for at least a decade. Official figures show that 39 percent of Colombians lived on less than $ 89 a month last year. The rejection of politics as usual “is a reflection of the fact that people are bored with the same people as ever,” said Nataly Amezquita, a 26-year-old civil engineer waiting to vote. “We need to create more social change. Many people in the country are not in the best condition.” People watch a screen showing the preliminary election results in Medellin on Sunday. (Joaquin Sarmiento / AFP / Getty Images) But both underdog candidates left her cold. He said he would cast a blank ballot: “I do not like either of the two candidates … Neither of them looks like a good person to me.” Sylvia Otero Bahamon, a professor of political science at the University of Rosario, said that although both candidates were populists who “have an ideology based on dividing the corrupt elite and the people,” everyone sees their struggle against the . “Peter is associated with the poor, the ethnic and cultural minorities of the nation’s most peripheral areas,” Otero said, while Hernτεndez’s supporters are “people who are frustrated by politics and corruption. It is a more relaxed community.” The candidate communicates directly through social networks. “ Many voters base their decision on what they do not want, instead of what they want. “A lot of people said, ‘I do not care who’s against Petro, I’ll vote for whoever represents the other candidate, no matter who he is,’” said Silvana Amaya, a senior analyst at Control. Dangers. “It works the other way around. Rodolfo has been portrayed as this crazy old man, communicative genius and exaggerated character (so) that some say, ‘I do not care who I have to vote for, but I do not’. I want to be president my”.
