Share

Love Him or Hate Him, Gustavo Petro Isn’t Going Anywhere

By Sergio Guzmán

The leftist senator could stymie recent opposition momentum in Colombia.

BOGOTÁ – No sooner had Gustavo Petro lost a second-round vote to Iván Duque in Colombia’s 2018 presidential election did he announce his intention to run again in 2022.

Petro, a former Bogotá mayor and M-19 guerilla with degrees from universities in Colombia, Spain and Belgium, appeared at the time as the clearest candidate to represent Colombia’s broad and increasingly assertive leftist opposition. His 8 million votes were the most ever received by a leftist presidential candidate and, as a runner-up, Colombian law entitled him to a Senate seat, a powerful perch from which to...

Read this article on the Americas Quarterly website. | Subscribe to AQ.

Related

AQ Podcast: Why Argentines Seem to Be Sticking With Milei

Despite recession and inflation, Milei has maintained his popularity. The reason for that lies in part in a lack of alternatives.

Arévalo Wants to Change Guatemala. Some Say He’s Moving Too Slowly.

The center-left president has made small gains in his first 100 days in office, though slow progress is setting off alarm bells among supporters.

Explore