Left-wing candidate and former guerilla Gustavo Petro wins Colombian presidential race
Gustavo Petro will become Colombia's first leftist leader, after winning the country's presidential race on Sunday.
The former guerrilla, 62, won by a slim margin of 3.2%, against 77-year-old right-wing entrepreneur Rodolfo Hernández.
With 99.7% of votes counted, Petro's Historic Pact bested Hernández's LIGA alliance with 50.5% (11,270,944 votes) to 47.3% (10,549,290).
In this historic win, his running mate Francia Márquez, 40, will now become the first Afro-Colombian to hold executive powers.
"Let's celebrate the first popular victory. May so many sufferings be cushioned in the joy that today floods the heart of the homeland," Petro tweeted in celebration on Sunday night.
Outgoing Colombian President Ivan Duque said he called Petro to congratulate him on his victory and that they had "agreed to meet in the coming days to initiate a harmonious, institutional and transparent transition."
At: https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/17/americas/gustavo-petro-profile-intl-latam/index.html
Making history, Historic Pact nominee Gustavo Petro hugs running mate Francia Márquez after announcing their ticket in March.
The leftist team - the first elected to high office in Colombia - galvanized voters frustrated by decades of poverty and inequality under conservative leaders. But enacting lasting change in the complex and troubled nation of 51 million may prove daunting.