Voters vote in second round in Colombia between Petro and Hernández

Colombians began voting this Sunday (19) in the second round of the presidential election. Voters will have to choose between the two candidates who finished ahead in the first round, the left-wing senator Gustavo Petro and the businessman Rodolfo Hernández a right-wing populist.

The dispute is the first in the Colombia in two decades that will not have a name linked to former president Álvaro Uribe, and represents a rejection of the Colombian political system, indicating a strong desire for change by the population.

The voting intention polls released so far indicate a tie between the candidates, with no clear advantage for either side. The polls close at 18:00 Brasilia time, with the results being released in the following hours.

According to analysts consulted by the CNN, the end of the first presidential round in Colombia, held on May 31, left a clear protagonist, a left with unprecedented votes and several losers.

Colombia is considered the most conservative country in Latin America , but it can be presided over for the first time in history by a leftist name. Petro finished the first round ahead with 8.5 million votes, or 40.4%.

Hernández came in second, with 27.9%, equivalent to 5.9 million people. Uribista Federico Gutierrez, who came in third with 23% of the votes, declared his support for the businessman, who has been called “Jair Bolsonaro” and “Colombia’s Donald Trump”.

Safety

The election campaign takes place at a turbulent time in Colombia. In addition to the pandemic, the country was the scene of big protests violently repressed by the police, and the return of attacks after the peace agreement with the FARC. The country’s president, Ivan Duque will leave office with high levels of disapproval.

Both candidates reported that they received death threats during the election campaign, and Hernández canceled all of the last week’s events for that reason.

The second issue surrounding the security issue is that the candidate who does not win might not accept the result, as there has been evidence of electoral fraud in the past.

both spoke to CNN and said, however, that they will respect the results of the elections. Learn more about the candidates:

Gustavo Petro

Leader of the left, Petro is known as a former member of the M-19 guerrilla group (April 19 Movement), demobilized in the 1990s . His past as a militant made the public life of the first place controversial.

Born in the municipality of Ciénaga de Oro in 1960, in the department of Córdoba, on the Caribbean coast, he entered public life at a young age, at the age of 21, as a municipal councilor, a sort of councilor. It was also at this time that he approached the M-19.

This year’s election is Petro’s third bid for the presidential seat. Previously, the candidate was a senator and mayor of the Colombian capital, Bogotá.

Among its proposals is the change in the country’s economic model, with the promotion of agricultural production and agrarian reform, a commitment to change the Colombian energy matrix and preservation of nature, promotion of female equality, the end of compulsory service and changes in the forces of security and a tax reform, taxing large fortunes.

Rodolfo Hernández

With a political life full of controversies, he calls himself “Engineer Rodolfo Hernández”.

Born in Piedecuesta, in the department of Santander, in 1945, he is a businessman in the same region, located in the northeast of Colombia.

In 1992 he was elected councilor, but never took office. Years later, in 2016, he was elected mayor of Bucaramanga, although he did not complete the term due to a series of disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Attorney General of Colombia due to scandals. THE CNN contacted Hernández’s representatives about the events, but received no response.

During the election campaign, Hernández became known for using the social network TikTok as a way of attracting the younger electorate. He also had a strong increase in voting intentions, taking him to the second round.

Hernández has a strong anti-corruption speech, and proposes to change the country’s Penal Code to “reduce impunity”. He advocates creating a “re-socializing city”, which would involve modifying the prison and optimizing resources and re-socializing prisoners.

The candidate also wants to reform the university admissions system, extending coverage to the entire population, and said he will reduce VAT, one of the country’s main taxes. In addition, he wants to build “dignified” affordable housing in rural areas to avoid an exodus to cities.