Washington DC, 20 June 2022 (TDI): Colombia has elected Gustavo Petro as President of Colombia, making him the first South American country’s leftist head of the state.
The election of Petro was a tidal shift for Colombia, followed by similar victories of the left in Peru, Chile, and Honduras. Meanwhile, Petro issued a call for unity during his victory speech.
In addition, he extended an olive branch to the opposition and welcomed them all at the Presidential palace to discuss the problems of Colombia.
The Secretary of the State, Antony J. Blinken, remarked that they look forward to working with President-Elect Petro to strengthen the US-Colombia relationship further and move both nations towards a better future.
These remarks were shared by the United States Department of State Spokesperson, Ned Price in the official statement.
Consequently, Blinken congratulated the people of Colombia for making their voices heard in a free and fair Presidential election. Also, he commended the role of officials, public servants, and volunteers whose dedication made these elections possible.
Congratulations to the Colombian people for exercising their right to vote and reaffirming the strength of their democracy. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with President-Elect @petrogustavo and building a more democratic and equitable hemisphere.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 20, 2022
Further, he stated that the United States and Colombia enjoy deep bonds with their people, shared values, and shared interests in democracy, security, inclusive economic prosperity, and human rights.
Also, he highlighted the region’s comprehensive cooperation between the United States and Colombia, which has improved public health, livelihoods, the rule of law, and environmental protection.
Subsequently, Price congratulated the Colombians on electing, using their democratic right for elections, and emphasized building partnership with the newly elected president.
We look forward to further strengthening our partnership with Colombian President-Elect @petrogustavo and congratulate our Colombian friends on their free and fair elections. https://t.co/gMyFYx2C5f https://t.co/eac2OZyqmS
— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) June 20, 2022
Gustavo Petro
In addition, the former Guerrilla fighter from the M-19 Guerrilla Army from the ’80s was earlier the Mayor of the capital, Bogota.
According to the statistics, Petro beat the opponent, Rodolfo Hernandez, with 50.47% of the vote in a runoff election on Sunday.
Furthermore, the newly elected President will take charge of the office in July. The most pressing challenges to the President are widening inequalities and rising costs of living.
On the other hand, the socio-political crisis with Venezuela, and the peace process with the leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) are also major hurdles.
