Colombia Live Updates: Gustavo Petro Elected the First Leftist President
www.nytimes.com
A former rebel and longtime legislator won Colombia’s presidential election on Sunday, galvanizing voters frustrated by decades of poverty and inequality under conservative leaders.

Gustavo Petro, leader of a leftist antiimperialist coalition (which includes the Colombian Communist Party) and former fighter in the communist guerilla group M 19, just won the presidential elections in Colombia! He is the first left wing president in the countrys history! He defeated Rodolfo Hernandez, a Trump style alt right billionaire who was quoted in a radio interview a few years ago saying “I love Adolf Hitler and his philosophy, he was a murderer but i still love him”. YESSS this is great news! A spectre haunts Latin America.

Edit: Among several things, Petro made it clear he would reestablish diplomatic relations with Venezuela and recognize Maduro as the legitimate president (Colombia had until now recognized Guaidó). Rip bozo for Guaidó the loser.

Edit 2: Petro also promised to enact land reform. In Colombia there was never any land reform done, so peasants live in almost feudal conditions, with landlords, oligarchs and corporations using far right death squads to enforce their will on the peasantry. In fact, the new vicepresident, a black woman, is of peasant background, having herself lived under such conditions.

Edit 3: Btw, this is Colombias first black vicepresident ever. Will the libs still simp for her if she doesnt suck up to the US? 🤔🤔🤔

    • cfgaussian@lemmygrad.ml
      211·
      2 years ago

      I am 99% sure that he will do just that. The country is just too right wing to do anything else. He would get immediately couped or assassinated if he tried anything too radical. The army has already made threats against him, and like Castillo in Peru he doesn’t have a majority in parliament, and the entire oligarchical elite and traditional political establishment are against him.

      And correct me if i’m wrong but hasn’t he already criticized Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua for being “undemocratic” during his campaign? Imo it sounds like he could be a Colombian Boric.

      Still infinitely better than the alternative. This is a historic step for the country.

      • SaddamHussein24@lemmygrad.mlOP
        24·
        2 years ago

        I think hes better than Boric. His vicepresident is a black woman from a poor peasant background. Also even if he just ends the cartel violence it will be extremely good. How are colombian communists supposed to organize if they are getting killed by CIA funded cartels and fascist death squads every day? Petro also said he will do land reform, set up free healthcare and education and recognize Maduro as president of Venezuela. Sure hes a socdem, but for Colombia its great.

        • cfgaussian@lemmygrad.ml
          14·
          2 years ago

          That’s true. Maybe he won’t be so much like Gabriel Boric but more like Pedro Castillo.

          Your point about his VP choice is good, so far i am very positively impressed by her. Remains to be seen how much real influence she will have though.

          If he can deliver on even half of his promises it would already be a huge step forward. Let’s just hope that he gets something done, enough to keep the leftward momentum going, because if he gets completely obstructed his entire term, that may put people off from voting leftist again and the country will backslide.