In the Diaspora, Colombia's Presidential Election is as Much About the Past as the Future
In the Diaspora, Colombia's Presidential Election is as Much About the Past as the Future
"Colombians love their country, and if they’re living abroad it’s painful for them," said AS/COA's Brian Winter on concerns driving voters this election season.
Colombians usually have notoriously low voter participation rates, both in Colombia and in the US, but this election has seen a rise in turnout. About 53 percent of voters participated in the first round of presidential elections, according to the National Civil Registry.
On Tuesday, Colombians turned out to cast their ballots in the runoff for the presidency. No candidate won more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round last month.
People hugged and chatted before and after voting. Many wore their World Cup yellow soccer jerseys and sipped coffees from the Colombian coffee shop next door. They took selfies together in front of a large yellow, blue and red Colombian flag on a white voting tent next to the consulate.
