Left-wing opponent Gustavo Petro came out ahead on Sunday, May 29, in the first round of the presidential election in Colombia. He will face an independent candidate, Rodolfo Hernandez, in the second round, according to the provisional official results published in the evening.

Mr. Petro cumulates 40.33% of the votes, ahead of Mr. Hernandez (28.14%), indicate these results given by the National Register, in charge of the organization of the ballot, after the counting of more than 97% of the ballots . Conservative candidate Federico Gutierrez, representing Colombia’s traditional right, is in third place with 23.90%.

A fearful right

For the first time in its history, Colombia could elect a left-wing president in the presidential election, the second round of which will take place on June 19. At the head of a coalition of progressive parties, Historic Pact, the candidate Gustavo Petro, 62, has been comfortably first in all the polls for months. And it is very scary on the right, which has governed since the country’s independence, two hundred and twelve years ago. Elected in 2018, Ivan Duque cannot run again.