By: Staff Writer
March 18, 2022
The upcoming Colombian presidential elections has more to do about Venezuela than it may do with Colombia itself as a charismatic leftist politician with ties to Nicholas Maduro is on the precipice of victory.
In presidential and legislative elections, Colombian voters signaled they want change, solidifying a left-wing former guerrilla member’s lead in the presidential race, and splitting the country’s Congress between right and left.
Centrists, meanwhile, lost out across the board, signifying the country’s deep political divide.
Colombians may elect a leftist president for the first time in their history this year. Senator Gustavo Petro, who is calling for a new economic model and a shift away from oil and coal, has been leading in polls with more than double the support of any of his rivals, which has investors on edge. Elsewhere in the Andes, Chile and Peru elected leftist leaders in 2021. Presidential elections will be held May 29 and if no candidate reaches 50 percent plus one vote a run-off will occur three weeks later.
Petro is a former Colombian guerrilla who became mayor of Bogota and a senator — now, he wants to be the first leftist president in the South American nation’s history.
The 61-year-old Petro, who is active on social media, hopes to win outright in the first round on May 29, for which he would need 50 percent of the vote.
If not, there will be a runoff on June 19.
He is an inspiring orator and crowds chant his name at political rallies where he rails against the ruling political “oligarchy” and promises to tackle poverty and social inequality.
Petro is already involved in controversy. Reports indicate that he is friendly to the Nicholas Maduro regime in Venezuela.
Former Venezuelan intel strongman Hugo Carvajal, known by a nickname as “El Pollo,” revealed in a written statement to a Spanish high court that Venezuela’s regime leader Nicolás Maduro bankrolled the election campaigns of South American presidents, and included in his list was Petro.
Petro’s win in the upcoming Colombian presidential elections may signal a shift in pro-US policy on Venezuela to a more neutral position at the very best.
But Petro is not he only person in the race. Centrist candidate, Sergio Fajardo, is also a leading candidate. Analysts view him as a centrist, but has been centre right for most of his political career.
The only female in the race this year is Ingrid Bettancourt, a Franco-Colombian politician, former senator and anti-corruption activist, especially opposing political corruption. She is seen as the safe bet for American interests, but she is not very high up in the polls. But anything can happen as we know in politics.