Colombia’s presidential campaign marked by death threats, secret recordings

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - With 10 days to go before Colombia’s runoff election, the two presidential campaigns are bringing out their big guns.

The most recent polls show a tie between the populist anti-establishment candidate Rodolfo Hernandez and left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro after one of the most polarized campaigns the country has seen in decades.

A series of videos were leaked Thursday in which Petro’s campaign advisers are shown discussing strategies to attack and discredit his political rivals. Petro's coalition has sought to compare the situation to the 1970s Watergate scandal in the US, saying it has been the victim of a spy case.

In statements made from Miami, Hernandez referred to the controversial videos, saying that Petro and his campaign team are a "criminal gang” and claiming that he fears for his life because his opponent´s coalition "has no limits and is willing to do anything to reach power."

“I have already received with concern (the news) that they are trying to kill me, and they are not killing me with guns, they are killing me with a knife,” he said.

Hernandez attended media interviews and a meeting with Colombian business leaders in Miami, where he said he will cancel public campaign events until June 19 because he is certain that “his life is in danger.” He also said he does not know when he will be returning to the country.​​​​​​​

In the first electoral round, Petro garnered 40% of the vote against 28% for Hernandez.

The independent candidate Hernandez intends to capture a majority of votes from the candidates who lost in the first round. His electoral promises include ending corruption, providing drug addicts with free narcotics and fully implementing the 2016 peace deal with FARC guerrillas.

Petro, a 62-year-old former guerrilla member, has said he wants to tackle inequality, hunger and poverty.