Gustavo Petro has been elected as Colombia's first left-wing president, defeating business mogul Rodolfo Hernández in a historic vote. The 62-year-old former guerrilla and mayor of Bogotá secured 50.47% of the vote, but faces a challenging mandate with deep suspicion from a significant portion of the population.
Petro's journey from the M-19 guerrilla movement to the presidency includes an arrest for weapons possession and claims of surviving torture. The M-19 demobilised in 1990, and some of its members helped draft Colombia's current constitution. His victory speech in Bogotá was met with rapturous applause, as he declared, 'Starting today Colombia changes.'
Petro's vice-president will be Francia Márquez, the first black woman to hold the post. A single mother and human rights defender from the Pacific region, Márquez won the Goldman environmental prize in 2018. She celebrated the victory as 'a government of the people, of people with callused hands.'
Despite the euphoria, Petro's thin mandate and plans to shift the economy away from fossil fuels towards agriculture are likely to spook markets. Analysts note that in a traditionally conservative country, some Colombians fear leftist rule could lead to the socioeconomic misfortune seen in Venezuela. However, the election proceeded without violence or fraud allegations.
Petro will also need to address the fragile peace process with the Farc rebels, signed in 2016 but falteringly implemented by outgoing President Iván Duque. The US has expressed willingness to work with the new administration, with Assistant Secretary Brian A Nichols tweeting support for Colombian democracy.
