The two candidates vying for the second round of the Colombian presidential election, Sunday June 19, embody a break. If he wins, ex-guerrilla Gustavo Petro, 62, who served as deputy, senator and mayor of Bogota, will be the first leftist president of a country that has never experienced ‘alternation. Rodolfo Hernandez, the millionaire entrepreneur who slays politicians, is, at 77, a complete outsider.
The independent candidate was certainly mayor of his city, Bucaramanga, but he launched himself into the presidency without a party, without an ideology and without really a program, just accompanied by a remarkable political marketing adviser. The two candidates capitalize on the fatigue of the traditional parties and the discredit of the government of Ivan Duque (right). The two waited for the second round to attack each other. Whoever wins will face the challenge of governing one of the most unequal countries on the continent.
“Fake news”, insults, threats, truncated remarks and stolen videos, the home stretch of the campaign was particularly tense. The very right review week posted videos of Gustavo Petro’s campaign team. The words of the candidate’s collaborators were not illegal, but they confirmed the cynicism of their electoral strategies. Rodolfo Hernandez refused to meet his opponent in front of the cameras. By invoking the right of voters to information, a judge in chambers tried to compel the independent candidate to do so. Without success.
According to the latest polls published a week before the election, Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernandez are neck and neck. Observers and analysts fear a very close result. “The failures in the counting of the legislative elections in March damaged the credibility of the electoral system, recalls analyst Cesar Paez. A request to recount votes would be very complicated to satisfy. » Recalling that the results of the first round fell very quickly, the President of the Republic wanted to be reassuring: “We guarantee respect for the verdict of the people”, did he declare. Mr. Duque, the Catholic Church and the United Nations have called on Colombians to recognize the results of the election, whatever it is, calmly. The two candidates are formally committed to it. As a sign of the tension, banks and stores in the center of Bogota have started boarding up their windows to protect themselves from possible thugs.
Bar the road to Petro
Rodolfo Hernandez, who created the surprise by winning 28% of the votes in the first round on May 29, can count, for the second, on those of the right-wing candidate Federico Gutierrez (23%). All the personalities of the hard right have indeed joined the independent candidate in order to block the way to Gustavo Petro. Rodolfo Hernandez officially set for line “to accept all memberships without negotiating anything”.
You have 51.5% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.