Columbia Elects A Leftist President After 200 Years

[bobabode]

"BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Gustavo Petro, a former rebel who rallied young and poor voters with promises to transform an unequal society, was elected Colombia’s first leftist president on Sunday, in a resounding rejection of the political establishment that has ruled the South American nation for two centuries.

Petro received more than 50 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results, riding a wave of support from Colombians desperate for change in a country struggling with high levels of poverty. The 62-year-old senator defeated outsider candidate Rodolfo Hernández, a wealthy businessman who garnered about 47 percent of the vote in a race initially expected to be tight.

Colombia, the third-largest nation in Latin America, now becomes the latest country to shift left in a region ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic’s economic assault. Petro’s triumph, in one of the most historically conservative countries on the continent, is a stunning example of how widespread discontent has shaken the status quo.

His win is remarkable not only because of his political ideology but also because of his life story: A former clandestine guerrilla, who served time in prison in the 1980s for his involvement with a rebel group, will now become president in a country still reeling from armed criminal violence. His presidency could have profound implications for Colombia’s economic model, role of government, and its relationship with other countries in the hemisphere — including the United States, its most important ally.

“Today is a party for the people,” Petro said in a tweet Sunday night. “Let us celebrate the first popular victory. May the sufferings of many now be cushioned in the joy that today floods the hearts of the Homeland.”" WP

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...petro-rodolfo/

Remarkable.