Colombia presidential election: What to wait for

One would mediate that Colombians would be thinking relating to the chance of going to the polls to elect their first submit-war president in nearly half a century.

The ache is that while the 2016 peace accord between the authorities and FARC rebels might perchance like gained outgoing President Juan Manuel Santos the Nobel Peace Prize, nearly all of Colombians are no longer thrilled about it.

Many converse it rewards « terrorists », while others contain it addresses the social inequalities which can perchance be the first explanation for violence on paper handiest.

Such dramatically various opinions about this form of basic wretchedness doubtlessly disclose why amongst the 5 candidates from the some distance left to the some distance comely, Colombians are inclined to clutch between the 2 choices on the extremes, if thought polls are correct.

Ivan Duque

The front runner is Ivan Duque, from the conservative Center Democratic Get together. He’s widely considered as dilapidated comely-waft President Alvaro Uribe’s stand in . Uribe, who is restful extraordinarily approved, is essentially the most vociferous opponent of the peace deal signed with the rebels.  

Duque suggested me that he would might perchance perchance no longer extinguish but modify the agreement.

« It is unacceptable that FARC kingpins who in the mean time like immunity for crimes towards humanity no longer be held responsible. They need to affirm the reality about what they did, they need to compensate the victims and they need to bolt to penal complex, » he acknowledged.

However many contain that if he’s elected, Duque would try and further undermine the peace accord, and rep rid of term limits to enable Uribe to lastly flee all over again. He denies that he’s Uribe’s puppet, despite the indisputable truth that he has little administrative skills and owes his candidacy essentially to the dilapidated president’s give a win to.

« If Duque wins we can uncover ourselves below a tyrannical regime what represents the extremely comely waft of our country. However we wont be surprised, » acknowledged Carlos Antonio Lozano, the dilapidated commander of FARC’s extremely efficient Sixth Front which handed in its weapons last twelve months.

Gustavo Petro

On the different indecent is Bogota’s dilapidated Mayor Gustavo Petro, the first left-waft candidate to love a serious crack at a success the presidency.

The dilapidated M-19 riot would stay away with compelled eradication of coca despite the indisputable truth that drug production has soared in the last three years. He would might perchance perchance crack down on paramilitary groups and extremely efficient land house owners who oppose the peace process. He promised to build land reform on rapid tune. Petro’s opponents, and especially the industrial sector, are panicked that he might perchance perchance take and predict that he will turn Colombia into one other Venezuela.

On the eve of the election Petro acknowledged that « an electoral fraud is in the works in Colombia » to conclude him from a success. He has introduced no laborious proof.

Every of the front runners would pick Colombia off the route standing by outgoing President Santos, who is blueprint more approved out of the country than at dwelling. His approval ranking is hovering at round 15 p.c.

The more average candidates consist of experienced politician and dilapidated peace accord negotiator Humberto de La Calle, the dilapidated mayor of Medellin Francisco Fajardo and dilapidated Vice President German Vargas Lleras, who broke with the President. All are trailing in the polls, despite the indisputable truth that Vargas Lleras might perchance perchance pull off a shock if the efficient political machine that backs him can mobilise adequate votes.

No candidate is prone to absorb the first round.