Colombia election this weekend sees leftist Petro in pole position
Send a link to a friend
[May 27, 2022] By
Oliver Griffin
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombians will choose
among a leftist promising change, a center-right candidate seen as the
natural successor to the incumbent leader, and an eccentric business
magnate in a presidential vote on Sunday.
Gustavo Petro, the leftist, has consistently led opinion polls, with
around 40% of voting intentions. If no one secures more than 50% a
run-off will take place on June 19, which surveys suggest Petro would
win.
Petro, a former mayor of capital Bogota, has promised to address
profound income inequality and provide free public university education,
as well opposing expansion of the oil and gas industry.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/stuffedaria_sda_HEROS_2022.png)
"I'm here for the proposals he's offering young people," student Viviana
Muete, 24, said earlier this month at a Petro rally in the city of
Fusagasuga.
Muete, who said she has not always had the money to keep studying, said
Petro offers hope that other candidates do not.
Petro will likely face off against either Federico Gutierrez, the
center-right former mayor of Colombia's second city of Medellin, or
business magnate Rodolfo Hernandez in a second round.
Gutierrez and Hernandez counted on support of 27.1% and 20.9%
respectively in a recent Invamer poll.
[to top of second column]
|
![](../images/052722PIX/news_z57.jpg)
Colombian left-wing presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, of the
Historic Pact coalition, waves as he arrives to a debate in Bogota,
Colombia May 26, 2022. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/flossie_sda_PROM_2022.png)
Gutierrez is supported by a mix of Colombia's
traditional political parties and is seen as the ideological heir to
current President Ivan Duque. He has warned that Petro would be a
disaster for the country's democracy and economy.
"We don't want the left in power, to lead us to disaster," Marta
Neiva, 66, said as she waited to cheer Gutierrez at a rally in
Bogota.
Hernandez, who is running independently with his own funds, has won
support with whimsical social media videos and anti-corruption
promises. However, his support may be dented by scandals from his
stint as mayor of the city of Bucaramanga and an ongoing graft
investigation. He denies any wrongdoing.
Polls will close at 4 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) and officials
expect the result around four hours after.
(Reporting by Oliver Griffin, additional reporting by Julia Symmes
Cobb; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/culvers_sda_PROM_2022.png) |