The outcome of Colombia’s presidential election has major implications for the survival of its historic peace deal, and the prospects of former combatants who have committed to a life without conflict
Presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, centre and his running mate Francia Marquez, at his right, stand before supporters with Marquez’s wife and daughter on election night in Bogota, Colombia.
(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
The strong showing of left-wing presidential candidate Gustavo Petro in the Colombian elections suggests the country’s left-right divide is moving from armed confrontation to democratic disagreement.
Protesters attend an anti-government march at Plaza Bolivar in Bogota, Colombia, where citizens have taken to the streets for weeks after proposed tax increases and to decry police brutality.
(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
The Colombian government responded violently to a general strike over tax reforms that primarily affected working-class citizens. It has fueled calls for police reform.
FARC commander Iván Márquez issued a return to armed struggle in a video posted Aug. 29, 2019.
Reuters TV (screengrab)
Dissidents in Colombia’s FARC guerrillas are threatening to renew armed struggle three years after signing a landmark peace deal. Here, experts explain the history of Colombia’s fragile peace process.
Police protect a judicial complex where former FARC rebel leader Seuxis Hernandez was standing trial on May 20, 2019. The former peace negotiator has been arrested on drug charges and is now fighting extradition to the United States.
AP Photo/Ivan Valencia
Colombia’s new president opposes the 2016 peace deal with the FARC guerrillas. As trust between the government and militants erodes, at least 1,700 former insurgents have returned to armed struggle.
University students ask for a higher budget for public higher education.
AP Photo/Fernando Vergara
Strikes and rallies have gripped Colombia for months. That’s bad news for its new government but a sign of progress in a country that had little tolerance for dissent during its 52-year civil war.
Mexico’s President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks about the upcoming changes his administration will impose on national security during the national peace and security plan conference in Mexico City on Nov. 14, 2018.
(AP Photo/Anthony Vazquez)
The success or failure of Mexico’s new president will have an impact on politics in the rest of Latin America as right-wing forces reclaim power. Is a brighter future for the region possible?
How do you solve a problem like Maduro?
EPA Images
In the most peaceful election in their modern history, Colombians have elected as their next president a conservative who will renegotiate the country’s fragile 2016 accord with the FARC guerrillas.
Colombia ended its 52-year conflict with the FARC guerrillas in late 2016. The next president must decide whether to uphold the deal.
AP Photo/Ivan Valencia
Two candidates from Colombia’s May 27 presidential vote will face off on June 17. One is a former guerrilla. The other is a hard-liner. Their views for the nation’s future couldn’t be more different.