A women holds a Colombian flag facing the sun. Image: via Nueva Sociedad, All rights reserved
On 17 June, the second round of presidential elections for the 2018-2022 period will be held in Colombia. After the first round, the candidates still in the race are Gustavo Petro, representing Colombia Humana, a coalition of democratic and progressive forces, and Iván Duque for the Centro Democrático, a far right party led by former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez.
This election is exceptional for many reasons: it is the first to be held after the 2016 agreement to end the armed conflict with the former insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, which is now known as the Revolutionary Alternative Common Force). It is also the first time in Colombia’s history that a “progressive” candidate has made it to the second round of the elections alive, with a chance of winning the second round. In this election, there is more at stake than just the choice of the president: for the first time, both the urban and rural elites are having difficulty controlling and determining the outcome.
