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Colombians have voted for a brand new congress and in addition solid ballots in presidential primaries to decide on social gathering candidates for the Might presidential contest
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombians voted for a brand new congress Sunday and in addition solid ballots in presidential primaries to decide on social gathering candidates for the Might presidential contest, because the nation held its first elections because the coronavirus pandemic started two years in the past.
As opinion polls had indicated, leftist Sen. Gustavo Petro emerged as the present chief within the race for the presidency. With almost all votes counted, he gained the first for the Historic Pact, a coalition of left-wing events, with 80% of the greater than 5.4 million votes solid in its major.
Staff Colombia, a coalition of conservative teams, drew 3.9 million voters to its major, which was gained by Federico Gutierrez, a former mayor of Medellin who has criticized some points of the 2016 peace cope with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
A gaggle of centrist events often called the Hope Coalition acquired 2 million voters in its major, which was gained by mathematician Sergio Fajardo, who additionally ran within the 2018 presidential election.
The three will compete in Colombia’s presidential election Might 29 together with a number of different candidates picked beforehand by smaller events. If nobody will get 50% of the votes, a runoff poll could be held in June between the highest two finishers.
“It appears like candidates within the middle had been the massive losers on this election,” stated Sergio Guzman, a political danger analyst in Bogota. “They confirmed divisions in the course of the marketing campaign and weren’t efficient at getting voters to the polls.”
Petro acquired greater than 4 million votes in Sunday’s major, doubling the variety of votes obtained by all 5 candidates within the middle’s major.
The senator, who belonged to a insurgent group within the Nineteen Eighties, has sought to capitalize on rising frustration with Colombia’s conservative authorities, which has overseen a rise in poverty in the course of the pandemic and final yr confronted massive protests over a tax enhance plan, police violence and inequality.
Petro has promised to extend taxes on firms and enormous landowners, and has recommended that if he turns into president the federal government will purchase up some land to distribute to landless peasants. He has additionally stated he would droop oil exploration initiatives and have the federal government take a better function within the financial system, together with making certain a assured annual earnings for Colombians.
“He speaks to the social wants which have risen in the course of the pandemic, and had been mirrored within the protests,” stated Johan Caldas, a political science professor on the College of La Sabana in Bogota.
Petro’s critics contend he needs to put in a statist financial system in Colombia just like Venezuela’s. One among his most outspoken critics is Gutierrez, who described Petro in a latest interview as a menace to Colombia’s democracy.
“Whereas he needs to expropriate property, I defend personal property,” Gutierrez instructed the Spanish newspaper El Pais. “Whereas he needs the central financial institution to print extra money as a approach out of poverty, I need to strengthen the financial system.”
Petro’s Historic Pact additionally had probably the most voted for Senate record, drawing round 15% of the whole votes. However that won’t give the motion sufficient seats to have a majority in Congress.
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