ASSESSMENTS

The Hard Realities That Await Colombia’s New Left-Wing President

Jun 21, 2022 | 20:54 GMT

Gustavo Petro (center) celebrates with supporters in Bogota after winning Colombia’s presidential election on June 19, 2022.

Gustavo Petro (center) celebrates with supporters in Bogota after winning Colombia’s presidential election on June 19, 2022.

(DANIEL MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images)

The realities of a fractured legislature and a slowing economy will likely force Colombia's leftist president-elect Gustavo Petro to scale back aspects of his progressive policy agenda, though he may have some success in accelerating the country’s transition to clean energy. Colombia has elected its first leftist president in decades, a little more than a year after mass anti-government protests swept the country. Left-wing lawmaker and former Bogota mayor Gustavo Petro won Colombia’s June 19 presidential run-off election with 50.4% of the vote, beating out conservative candidate Rodolfo Hernandez’s 47.3%. Petro -- who campaigned on tackling climate change, poverty and other inequality issues -- will begin his four-year term on Aug. 7....

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