His political career began in the city of Medellín, where he served as a councillor before progressing to a three-year spell as mayor. Undoubtedly viewed as the most pro-government candidate and the natural successor to Duque, Gutiérrez is polling at 21%. Petro’s nearest rival is Federico ‘Fico’ Gutiérrez, who at 48 is the youngest challenger in the field. In addition, Petro has proposed a $13.5m tax legislation overhaul, which would tax the richest to help fund social programmes as well as ensuring older people without pensions receive monthly payments of around $125. Such policies have not been welcomed by all, with former finance minister Juan Carlos Echeverry claiming halting oil exploration would be “economic suicide”. On environmental matters, he has pledged to move the country away from fossil fuels, halt new oil projects, and increase taxes on extractive industries such as mining. He has been explicit in his support of LGBTIQ rights, and advocated for more women in politics.
Then, earlier this month, he announced he was cancelling a number of campaign events after alleging a plot by a drug-trafficking organisation to murder him.Ī Petro victory would mark a historic shift in Colombian politics, which has been dominated by the Right for more than 50 years. In April, Petro claimed criminals were planning to infiltrate his presidential campaign with dirty money. While Petro has enjoyed a comfortable lead in the polls, he has not managed to escape controversy in the lead up to the election. His running mate, Francia Marquez, is poised to become the first Afro-Colombian woman to hold the country’s vice-presidency. His main proposals include the creation of a Ministry of Equality, the implementation of an energy transition from extractivism to decarbonisation, and achieving 50% female representation in public institutions. After coming fourth in the 2010 presidential election, he won the mayoralty of the capital, Bogotá, in 2012, before coming second in the 2018 presidential elections with eight million votes.Īs head of Pacto Histórico, a progressive coalition, Petro is now hoping to make it third time lucky in the presidential race, although he may yet require a run-off on 19 June should he fail to take more than 50% of the first-round vote.
He soon moved into politics, working his way up to becoming a senator for the Polo Democrático party in 2006. Gustavo Petroįor the first time, the Left has a real chance to win a presidential election in Colombia, with Petro leading the polls with 40%, according to YanHaas.Ī former militant of the left-wing guerrilla organisation, M-19, Petro received a pardon in 1991, a year after M-19 laid down its weapons. So who will Colombia choose as its next president? Here’s what you need to know.
Some 85% of respondents also say security in cities has worsened in the past four years. Whoever succeeds him will need to fix a pandemic-stricken economy, rampant inequality and unprecedented social unrest, which has led to numerous protests marred by the murders of demonstrators by police.Īccording to a survey by pollster YanHaas last month, among Colombians’ main concerns are corruption (20%), the economy (28%), unemployment (14%) and insecurity (14%).
The current president, Iván Duque, is not eligible to run for a second term. According to figures from the government’s statistics agency, 39.3% of Colombia’s population of 50 million were living in poverty at the end of last year, with 6.1 million in ‘extreme poverty’. Petro’s opportunity comes amid a growing economic crisis, with Colombia’s inflation rate at 9.23%, its highest for 22 years, and unemployment at 12%, the worst for a decade. Brazil may yet be caught up in its waves come its election in October. Gustavo Petro, a 62-year-old militant-turned-politician, who’s championed by much of the country’s younger population, is expected to build on the success of the so-called ‘Pink Tide’ sweeping the continent – with recent left-wing victories in Peru, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. For the first time in Colombia’s history, a left-wing candidate looks set to win Sunday’s presidential election.