Leftist is frontrunner after Colombia presidential primaries
2 years, 9 months ago

Leftist is frontrunner after Colombia presidential primaries

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Colombians voted for a new congress Sunday and also cast ballots in presidential primaries to choose party candidates for the May presidential contest, as the country held its first elections since the coronavirus pandemic began two years ago. A group of centrist parties known as the Hope Coalition got close to 2 million voters in its primary, which was won by mathematician Sergio Fajardo, who also ran in the 2018 presidential election. The senator, who belonged to a rebel group in the 1980s, has sought to capitalize on growing frustration with Colombia's conservative government, which has overseen an increase in poverty during the pandemic and last year faced big protests over a tax increase plan, police violence and inequality.

Colombia Primary Its Primary  parties  candidates  primaries  presidential  voters  breaking  sign  million  colombia  votes  won  leftist  primary  frontrunner

History of this topic

Colombia’s President Petro was the target of a possible attack in July, says defense minister
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Colombia’s President Petro was the target of a possible attack in July, says defense minister

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian President Gustavo Petro was the target of a possible attack in July, when he took part in a public event in downtown Bogotá, Defense Minister Iván Velásquez said Thursday, without providing evidence or elaborating further. Petro said at the time that his tardiness was due to “information that had to be corroborated with the United States …

Petro Shakes Up Colombia’s Cabinet as His Economic Reforms Stall
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Petro Shakes Up Colombia’s Cabinet as His Economic Reforms Stall

Live Mint  

-- President Gustavo Petro reshuffled Colombia’s cabinet as the leftist leader approaches the midpoint of his four-year term with his flagship economic reforms under threat in congress and the courts. Juan Fernando Cristo, an ally of former President Juan Manuel Santos, will take over the interior ministry, Petro announced Wednesday in a post on X. Cristo will be tasked with …

‘Rude awakening’: Elections seen as rebuke to Colombia’s Gustavo Petro
1 year, 1 month ago

‘Rude awakening’: Elections seen as rebuke to Colombia’s Gustavo Petro

Al Jazeera  

What a difference a year makes for Gustavo Petro. His “Total Peace” initiative, for instance, was positioned as a solution to Colombia’s six-decade-long internal conflict: The government would set out to strike peace deals with armed groups to stop the fighting. Borda, the political analyst, also said that the latest election results will embolden Petro’s critics to take advantage of …

Colombia veers to the right as President Petro’s allies lose by wide margins in regional elections
1 year, 1 month ago

Colombia veers to the right as President Petro’s allies lose by wide margins in regional elections

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Allies of President Gustavo Petro lost by wide margins in municipal and provincial elections Sunday, in what analysts called a sign of growing discontent with Colombia’s first left-wing government. Some analysts said Sunday’s outcome threatens Petro’s efforts to get the congress to make significant changes to the nation’s health system and its labor laws. Pedro Medellin, a …

Colombia’s first leftist president is stalled by congress and a campaign finance scandal
1 year, 4 months ago

Colombia’s first leftist president is stalled by congress and a campaign finance scandal

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian President Gustavo Petro took office a year ago laying out ambitious goals for the nation’s first leftist government. A campaign finance scandal involving Petro’s eldest son, which broke out earlier this summer, has further weakened the government, with some analysts saying Petro’s capacity to change Colombia’s laws has been severely wounded. And it approved a legal …

Colombia's Petro urges Spain to lead EU on climate change
1 year, 7 months ago

Colombia's Petro urges Spain to lead EU on climate change

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Colombian …

Colombian President Petro meets Biden in Washington, DC
1 year, 8 months ago

Colombian President Petro meets Biden in Washington, DC

Al Jazeera  

The two leaders discussed issues such as climate change, migration and drug trafficking in a White House meeting. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has met US President Joe Biden on Thursday, as the two countries seek to confront issues such as climate change, migration and drug policy. Biden, meanwhile, echoed Petro’s call for greater cooperation between their two countries, particularly as …

Venezuela, Colombia name ambassadors in attempt to repair ties
2 years, 4 months ago

Venezuela, Colombia name ambassadors in attempt to repair ties

Al Jazeera  

Venezuela, Colombia appoint envoys to each other’s capitals, aiming to restore relations that have been broken for more than three years. Venezuela and Colombia have appointed ambassadors to each other, days after the inauguration of Colombia’s first left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, who has promised to mend ties with its neighbour. The newly elected Colombian president said Armando Benedetti, a former …

Gustavo Petro sworn in as Colombia’s president
2 years, 4 months ago

Gustavo Petro sworn in as Colombia’s president

Al Jazeera  

Gustavo Petro takes office promising to achieve peace with armed groups and to fight inequality and climate change. Gustavo Petro, a former rebel fighter, has been sworn in as Colombia’s first left-wing president. “The challenges and tests that we have as a nation demand a period of unity and basic consensus.” Petro, a 62-year-old former senator, has promised to revive …

Colombia: Ex-rebel sworn in as president in historic shift
2 years, 4 months ago

Colombia: Ex-rebel sworn in as president in historic shift

Firstpost  

Sen. Gustavo Petro, a former member of Colombia’s M-19 guerrilla group, won the presidential election in June by beating conservative parties that offered moderate changes to the market-friendly economy Bogota: Colombia’s first leftist president will be sworn into office on Sunday, promising to combat inequality and marking a pivotal moment in the history of a nation still plagued by a …

Colombia’s next defence minister faces ‘a hell of a fight’
2 years, 4 months ago

Colombia’s next defence minister faces ‘a hell of a fight’

Al Jazeera  

Bogota, Colombia – Ivan Velasquez first made a name for himself as a prosecutor in Medellin in the 1990s, when he reportedly refused to accept a briefcase of money from Pablo Escobar to drop investigations into the drug lord’s life of luxury in prison. He will take office amid a host of security challenges: rising violence in rural areas with …

Venezuela and Colombia agree to re-establish diplomatic ties
2 years, 4 months ago

Venezuela and Colombia agree to re-establish diplomatic ties

Al Jazeera  

Countries will name new ambassadors when Colombia’s President-elect Gustavo Petro takes office next month, officials say. Colombia and Venezuela will appoint new ambassadors in their respective capitals when Colombian President-elect Gustavo Petro takes office next month, authorities said, in an effort to rebuild diplomatic relations after years of tension. That fuelled tensions between the neighbours, with Colombia’s outgoing President Ivan …

Colombia: president-elect looks to build governing coalition
2 years, 6 months ago

Colombia: president-elect looks to build governing coalition

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Petro, a former Bogotá mayor and a member of the M-19 rebel group that …

Colombia’s shift to the left: A new ‘pink tide’ in Latin America?
2 years, 6 months ago

Colombia’s shift to the left: A new ‘pink tide’ in Latin America?

Al Jazeera  

The sun is rising on a new day for Colombians, especially for those who Vice President-elect Francia Marquez calls the “nobodies”: women, Indigenous communities, Afro-Colombians, LGBTQ+, working class, disabled people and all the others who have been disproportionately impacted by poverty, state violence, discrimination and environmental destruction in the country. On Sunday, former Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro and his candidate …

Leftist’s election to test Colombia’s alliance with US
2 years, 6 months ago

Leftist’s election to test Colombia’s alliance with US

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — It’s one of the United States’ few enduring alliances in an often-turbulent Latin America, one built around a decades-long partnership combating the nation’s drug cartels. In other areas, such as trade and Venezuela, Petro could also clash with the U.S. His campaign platform calls for the creation of “smart tariffs” to protect Colombia’s countryside from agricultural imports …

Leftist's election to test Colombia's alliance with US
2 years, 6 months ago

Leftist's election to test Colombia's alliance with US

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In other areas, such as trade and Venezuela, …

Election of leftist Gustavo Petro as president will test Colombia’s alliance with U.S.
2 years, 6 months ago

Election of leftist Gustavo Petro as president will test Colombia’s alliance with U.S.

LA Times  

Gustavo Petro shows his ballot before voting in the presidential runoff in Bogota, Colombia, on Sunday. But Gustavo Petro’s election as Colombia’s first leftist president is likely to test the U.S.’ special relationship with a major non-NATO ally like never before. In other areas, such as trade and Venezuela, Petro could also clash with the U.S. His campaign platform calls …

Colombian voters elect country’s first Black vice president
2 years, 6 months ago

Colombian voters elect country’s first Black vice president

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — As Colombia’s voters put aside a longtime antipathy to leftists and chose one as their new president, they also carved out another milestone — electing the country’s first Black vice president. “She’s completely different than any another person that’s ever had a vice presidency in Colombia,” said Gimena Sanchez, the Andes director for the Washington Office on …

Petro faces challenges to deliver Colombians promised change
2 years, 6 months ago

Petro faces challenges to deliver Colombians promised change

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia for the first time elected a leftist as president, but the slim victory is a cue that a large portion of the country rejects the ambitious proposals of Gustavo Petro, who will have to consider their concerns and negotiate with a divided Congress to deliver on promises. “Petro has set very high expectations from his proposals, …

Ex-rebel wins runoff to be Colombia’s 1st leftist president
2 years, 6 months ago

Ex-rebel wins runoff to be Colombia’s 1st leftist president

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Former rebel Gustavo Petro narrowly won a runoff election over a political outsider millionaire Sunday, ushering in a new era of politics for Colombia by becoming the country’s first leftist president. “May so many sufferings be cushioned in the joy that today floods the heart of the Homeland.” Petro issued a call for unity during his victory …

Colombia election: Latin America leftist leaders praise Petro win
2 years, 6 months ago

Colombia election: Latin America leftist leaders praise Petro win

Al Jazeera  

Former rebel Petro’s victory marks the first time in history Colombia has elected a left-wing candidate as president. The victory of Gustavo Petro in Colombia’s presidential election has continued a leftward swing in Latin America – and was quickly praised by left-wing leaders across the region and the world. Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez, who took office in 2019 after running …

Ex-rebel fighter Gustavo Petro wins Colombia’s presidency
2 years, 6 months ago

Ex-rebel fighter Gustavo Petro wins Colombia’s presidency

Al Jazeera  

Gustavo Petro, a former member of the M-19 movement, wins Colombia’s presidential run-off with 50.5 percent of the vote. “I sincerely hope that this decision is beneficial for everyone.” ‘Change for the better’ As results rolled in at the Petro campaign celebration in Bogota, supporter Alejandro Forero, 40, cried. Petro’s supporters “say this is the time for real change in …

Former rebel Gustavo Petro wins Colombia's presidential election
2 years, 6 months ago

Former rebel Gustavo Petro wins Colombia's presidential election

NPR  

Former rebel Gustavo Petro wins Colombia's presidential election toggle caption Fernando Vergara/AP BOGOTA, Colombia — Former rebel Gustavo Petro narrowly won a runoff election over a political outsider millionaire Sunday, ushering in a new era of politics for Colombia by becoming the country's first leftist president. Enlarge this image toggle caption Ivan Valencia/AP Ivan Valencia/AP Petro's showing was the latest …

Colombia: Will elections further divide the country?
2 years, 6 months ago

Colombia: Will elections further divide the country?

Al Jazeera  

On Thursday, June 16 at 19:30 GMT: Colombians will head to the polls again on June 19, in what’s anticipated to be a close run-off presidential election between two anti-establishment candidates: leftist Gustavo Petro and conservative populist Rodolfo Hernandez. It’s a crucial time for the country, with growing numbers of Colombians facing poverty, extreme income inequality, and a resurgence in …

Colombia presidential race to runoff; leftist vs businessman
2 years, 6 months ago

Colombia presidential race to runoff; leftist vs businessman

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — In a blow to Colombia’s political class, a leftist former rebel and a populist businessman took the top two spots in the country’s presidential election Sunday and headed to a runoff showdown in June. “Colombia’s total vote launches that message to the world: A period is ending; an era is ending.” A victory for Petro would usher …

A leftist will face a businessman as Colombia's presidential race heads to a runoff
2 years, 6 months ago

A leftist will face a businessman as Colombia's presidential race heads to a runoff

NPR  

A leftist will face a businessman as Colombia's presidential race heads to a runoff Enlarge this image toggle caption Fernando Vergara/AP Fernando Vergara/AP BOGOTA, Colombia — In a blow to Colombia's political class, a leftist former rebel and a populist businessman took the top two spots in the country's presidential election Sunday and headed to a runoff showdown in June. …

Colombians to vote for president amid generalized discontent
2 years, 6 months ago

Colombians to vote for president amid generalized discontent

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The ballot includes former rebel …

Colombians vote in divisive presidential election
2 years, 6 months ago

Colombians vote in divisive presidential election

Al Jazeera  

Leftist candidate Gustavo Petro was leading in polls and well on his way to become Colombia’s next president. With his proposals to boost social investment, halt new oil exploration, and dismantle the notorious riot police known as ESMAD, Petro is well on his way to become Colombia’s first left-wing president. His running mate, Afro-Colombian environmental activist Francia Marquez, who placed …

Leftist and businessman head to Colombian election runoff
2 years, 6 months ago

Leftist and businessman head to Colombian election runoff

Al Jazeera  

Leftist former guerilla fighter Gustavo Petro will face populist businessman Rodolfo Hernandez in a second round of Colombia’s presidential election. A leftist former rebel fighter has come out on top in the first round of Colombia’s presidential election and is set to face a populist businessman in a second round showdown on June 19. “Now it’s about seeing what we …

Ex-rebel emerges as favorite in Colombian presidential race
2 years, 7 months ago

Ex-rebel emerges as favorite in Colombian presidential race

Associated Press  

FUSAGASUGA, Colombia — Flanked by bodyguards with bulletproof shields, Gustavo Petro stood on a stage and lashed out at Colombia’s political elite in a speech to the residents of Fusagasuga, a rural town where farmers are struggling. “We want a country where the state provides fundamental rights like education and health, and can finance them because there is a productive …

How Francia Marquez aims to break barriers in Colombia
2 years, 8 months ago

How Francia Marquez aims to break barriers in Colombia

Al Jazeera  

In 2019, Francia Marquez survived an assassination attempt by men wielding firearms and grenades – an attack that came on the heels of a string of death threats against the award-winning Colombian environmentalist. “This is an important moment for the ‘nobodies’ of this country who have never had a voice,” Marquez told a news conference after her nomination last week. …

Leftist is frontrunner after Colombia presidential primaries
2 years, 9 months ago

Leftist is frontrunner after Colombia presidential primaries

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombians voted for a new congress Sunday and also cast ballots in presidential primaries to choose party candidates for the May presidential contest, as the country held its first elections since the coronavirus pandemic began two years ago. A group of centrist parties known as the Hope Coalition got 2 million voters in its primary, which was …

Colombia elections: Petro takes lead, Congress divided
2 years, 9 months ago

Colombia elections: Petro takes lead, Congress divided

Al Jazeera  

Election results show a polarised country, with no coalition able to form a majority in the Congress of Colombia. Bogota, Colombia – In presidential and legislative elections, Colombian voters signalled 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. “Because if the country continues like it …

Colombians vote for a new congress and presidential candidates
2 years, 9 months ago

Colombians vote for a new congress and presidential candidates

NPR  

Colombians vote for a new congress and presidential candidates Enlarge this image toggle caption Fernando Vergara/AP Fernando Vergara/AP BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombians voted for a new congress Sunday and also cast ballots in presidential primaries to choose party candidates for the May presidential contest, as the country held its first elections since the coronavirus pandemic began two years ago. Sponsor …

Far-left candidate leads Peru into run-off presidential polls
3 years, 8 months ago

Far-left candidate leads Peru into run-off presidential polls

Al Jazeera  

Leftist Castillo in lead with 16 percent of the vote after surprise comeback as Peru deals with economic, COVID crises. Peruvian far-left candidate Pedro Castillo is set to win the Andean country’s first-round presidential election, though he will face a run-off vote in June with an electorate fragmented after a year of political and economic crisis. The election on Sunday …

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