The coalition of the Historical Pact, headed by Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez, advanced this Sunday to the second round of the presidential elections in Colombia as the most voted political option.
With 97% of the tables counted, the formula of the alternative and leftist forces obtained the largest number of votes during the election day, but 40.33% of the votes (more than eight million 333 thousand 338) did not reach it to win in the first round, according to a office from the agency Latin Press (PL).
In this way, the binomial of Petro and Márquez will attend the Second round set for next June 19, to face the one made up of Rodolfo Hernández and Marelen Castillo, who reached second place with 28.14% (five million 815,377 votes), the media outlet specifies.
The surprise of these elections was the defeat of Federico Gutiérrez, from Equipo por Colombia, supported by Uribismo and other conservative sectors, although Hernández is also supported by those same forces, adds the publication.
presidential elections in #Colombia ??
Results of the official pre-count (97%):
-Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández advance to the second round
-Federico Gutiérrez stays in third place
-52% stakeMore information:https://t.co/24V8o6Ymmq
— BBC News Mundo (@bbcmundo) May 29, 2022
Fico Gutiérrez, former mayor of Medellín, became the face of continuity during the campaign. Although he presented himself as an independent politician, he received the full support of the country’s political power, from Uribismo to the two great traditional parties, the Conservative and the Liberal, who decided to close ranks with him in the face of Petro’s advance, values the spanish newspaper The country.
In his first public words, Gutiérrez acknowledged his defeat and unambiguously gave his support to Hernández for the second round, something that would complicate Petro’s options in the ticketing, considers that publication.
The text recalls that Gutierrez added just over five million votes and Hernández achieved almost six, so if there is a large transfer of votes from one to the other, they would add 11 million, almost three more than those achieved by the left-wing candidate this Sunday.
For his part, Petro thanked his followers for the broad support received, especially in Cauca, Nariño, and Bogotá, among other regions, and assured that the project of the outgoing president, Iván Duque, was defeated. “An era has ended in this country,” he said, quoted by PL.
In addition, the progressive candidate urged businessmen to think about social justice and economic stability and explained that social justice is well defined in his government program, details the press agency.
My speech after the elections https://t.co/prpfednLBd
– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) May 30, 2022
In her speech, she highlighted the role of women in society, the importance of agricultural development to produce food, that older adults have a pension, that society has health and that young people can access education.
Regarding the Peace Agreement, he said that the Duque government set out to “tear the peace to shreds” and today the country has more violence, corruption and hunger, and regarding his contender he recalled that he is accused of corruption, the news agency points out.
Remember The country that the only political experience of Hernández (77 years old) was during his mayoralty in Bucaramanga, where he still has a pending account with the justice system, which will summon him in July to settle an accusation of corruption for a public contract.
Based on the results of the election day, the Spanish publication estimates that Colombia chose the path of change between the left of Petro (62 years old) or the unknown of Hernández. He adds that the first “generates enormous fear among the entire political elite, willing to vote for anyone other than him,” and the other is “an enigma that the right, already defeated, began to embrace on election night itself.”
