2 anti-establishment candidates vying for Colombia's presidency

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Results of the first round of the Colombian presidential elections took many by surprise Tuesday.

Not because a leftist candidate has a chance of becoming president for the first time in the nation’s history, but Colombians will now have to choose between two candidates who embody sweeping change in the direction the country is heading.

In the second round on June 19, former guerrilla member Gustavo Petro, who garnered more than 8.5 million votes Sunday, will face anti-establishment independent Rodolfo Hernandez, who received almost 6 million votes.

The two represent a break with the traditional political class and the establishment.

Petro, a 62-year-old former guerrilla member, said he wants to tackle inequality, hunger and poverty. At the age of 21, he joined the urban guerrilla group M-19, for which he later spent a year and a half in prison.

In 2010, he served as a congressman and in 2018 became the mayor of the nation’s capital, Bogota.

Petro has run for president three times and in 2018 was defeated by right-wing incumbent Ivan Duque.

His running mate is Francia Marquez, a longtime environmental activist who could become the first black female vice-president.

Petro pledged to implement a 2016 peace deal with the FARC rebels and seek peace talks with ELN rebels, redistribute the pension system and end the extraction of oil -- the country's biggest export.

He was the runner-up in the 2018 election. This is his third attempt at the presidency.

Although Hernandez said Petro approached him to suggest they team up in the first round, Petro claims that electing his opponent would be “suicidal.”

"There are changes that are a leap in the dark, but we want to make a change forward," Petro, said after learning of the results Sunday, referring to Hernandez.

The main criticism about Hernandez is that he has not spoken about concrete proposals for the country.

The 77-year-old, who was mayor of Bucaramanga, does not participate in debates because he said he cannot explain his ideas "in one minute". He is also not a public square politician.

He is a rich real estate businessman who has built his prominence around social media, including TikTok and YouTube, from where he is followed by a young population for his irreverence, irony and casual style. His leap in popularity is also due to his attacks on corruption, the establishment and traditional politicians.

Only weeks ago, Hernandez, who has drawn comparisons with former United States President Donald Trump and Brazilian head of state Jair Bolsonaro, was in third place in the polls.

He ousted right-wing candidate Federico Gutierrez, who lost momentum in the closing days of the campaign when polls indicated Hernandez could beat Petro in a run-off.

Despite being a champion of anti-corruption, Hernandez is accused of improperly awarding a business contract while mayor, from which his son benefited financially.

He said he will not raise taxes and is willing to negotiate with the ELN, although in 2004 the guerrilla group kidnapped his daughter, Juliana, who is still missing.