The first round of the Presidential elections in Colombia was marked by the real possibility of a triumph of the political left, a stalemate in the peace process, the proliferation of armed groups, and growing violence.
Gustavo Petro, former senator and former mayor of Bogota, obtained 40 percent of the votes and Rodolfo Hernández, an emerging candidate, came in second with 28 percent. One of the big questions ahead of the second round on June 19 is whether Hernández will be able to capitalize on the 55 percent of voters who did not choose Petro. In this interview, Gimena Sánchez, Director for the Andes at WOLA and Adam Isacson, Director for Defense Oversight at WOLA, discuss the main challenges the new president will face, the risks of electoral violence, and the implications of Colombia’s new political map for the bilateral relationship with the United States. - What does this initial result mean for Colombia’s future and what are the main challenges in the short term?
- Are we facing a milestone in Colombian politics? Some sort of referendum on the political system that has ruled the country for decades and has failed to end the cycles of violence and inequality?
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Does the possibility of Francia Márquez becoming the second in line to the presidency of Colombia point to real changes in terms of a more diverse political representation in the country?
- Regardless of who wins, what are the challenges that the next President of Colombia will face with the peace accord in mind and the political and security landscape that followed 2016?
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