Colombia chooses first leftist prez and black woman VP

Bogota: Colombia will be governed by a leftist president for the first time after former rebel Gustavo Petro narrowly defeated a real estate millionaire in a runoff election that underscored people’s disgust with the country’s traditional politicians.

Petro’s third attempt to win the presidency earned him 50.48 per cent of the votes on Sunday, while political outsider Rodolfo Hernández got 47.26 per cent, according to results released by election authorities.

The election came as Colombians struggle with rising inequality, inflation and violence — factors that led voters in the election’s first round last month to punish long-governing centrist and right-leaning politicians and pick two outsiders for the runoff contest.

It puts an end to Colombia’s long stigmatisation of the left for its perceived association with the country’s half century of armed conflict. “From this government that is beginning there will never be political persecution or legal persecution, there will only be respect and dialogue,”Petro said in his victory speech, adding that he will listen to those who have raised arms as well as to “that silent majority of peasants, Indigenous people, women, youth”.

The vote is also resulting in Colombia having a Black woman as vice president for the first time. Petro’s running mate, Francia Márquez, 40, is a lawyer and environmental leader whose opposition to illegal mining resulted in threats and a grenade attack in 2019.