Three days before Colombia's runoff presidential vote, AS/COA's Bogota conference focused on the country's economic outlook. Juan Carlos Echeverry, appointed finance minister by President-elect Juan Manuel Santos, gave an overview of the next administration's reform proposals.
Former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos is favored to win against ex-Mayor of Bogota Antanas Mockus in Colombia's second round of presidential elections on June 20.
Former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos won more than twice the votes of his main rival in Colombia's May 30 elections, but fell short of gaining the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff. Santos and the Green Party's Antanas Mockus compete for the presidency in a second round on June 20.
The Green Party's Antanas Mockus and the U Party's Juan Manuel Santos are neck and neck in Colombia's presidential race, according to polls released ahead of May 30 elections. Neither is expected to win the needed absolute majority, making a June 20 runoff likely.
The Obama administration sought to bolster security ties this week when U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates traveled to Peru, Colombia, and Barbados. While in Bogota, Gates also pushed for passage of the long-stalled U.S.-Colombia trade pact.
The Colombian elections are off at a gallop, with former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos the current frontrunner. But Noemí Sanín clinched the Conservative Party nomination on March 19 and could serve as a strong contender at the first round of polls on March 30. They face a number of other candidates.
On February 26, the Constitutional Court of Colombia ended more than two years of speculation about a possible third term in office for President Álvaro Uribe. With Uribe out of the running, AS/COA looks at Colombia’s presidential candidates.
