Petro, the first left-wing president in Colombia's history
Gustavo Petro, newly elected president of Colombia, upon his arrival at a polling station for the second round of the election in Bogotá, this Sunday, June 19, 2022. AFP - JUAN BARRETO
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Socialist Gustavo Petro, a 62-year-old economist, was elected President of the Republic of Colombia this Sunday, June 19, 2022. The former senator won with 50.49% of the vote, against 47.26% for his opponent independent Rodolfo Hernández, a 77-year-old millionaire engineer and entrepreneur.
For the first time in two centuries, the right was not represented in the second round.
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Some 11,272,740 votes for Mr. Petro, against 10,551,520 for his rival Rodolfo Hernández, according to the almost final results communicated by the
National Register
, in charge of organizing the ballot (99.76% of the ballots counted).
Gustavo Petro is therefore the first elected left-wing president in the history of Colombia.
“
Today is a day of celebration for the people.
Let him celebrate the first popular victory
, ”wrote the ex-guerrilla, converted into a social democrat, on Twitter.
Hoy es dia de fiesta para el pueblo.
Que festeje la primera victoria popular.
Que tantos sufrimientos amortuen en la alegria que hoy inunda el corazon de la Patria.
Esta victoria para Dios y para el Pueblo y su historia.
Hoy es el dia de las calles y las plazas.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) June 19, 2022
Rodolfo Hernández himself admitted defeat.
“
Today, the majority of citizens have chosen the other candidate.
(…) I accept the result as it is
, ”he said in a live on Facebook.
“
I wish Dr. Gustavo Petro that he knows how to run the country and that he is faithful to his speech against corruption.
»
The outgoing president, the conservative Iván Duque, also took to Twitter: "
I called @PetroGustavo to congratulate him as the elected president of the Colombian people
," he wrote, "
we agreed to meet in the next few days to begin a harmonious, institutional and transparent transition
".
Llamé a @PetroGustavo para felicitarlo como presidente electo de los colombianos.
Acordamos reunirnos en los próximos días para iniciar una transición armónica, institutional y transparent.
— Iván Duque 🇨🇴 (@IvanDuque) June 19, 2022
The president-elect campaigned on the promise of major economic and social changes, summed up in the phrase “politics of love”.
The adversary of the former mayor of Bogotá is indeed inequalities.
On the program: free universities, public health and pension systems, ecological transition, promotion of an economy based on agriculture and tourism, and resumption of negotiations with armed groups to pacify the country.
►Read again: Colombia goes to the polls for a second round of the presidential election under high tension
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