Hernández gives the surprise and the presidency of Colombia will be disputed with Petro in the second round

MADRID, May 30. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The tycoon Rodolfo Hernández has given the surprise and will compete for the presidency of Colombia with the left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro in the second round of the Colombian presidential elections, according to official results corresponding to 98.1 percent of polling stations counted.

Specifically, Petro would have achieved 40 percent of the vote, while Hernández has given the surprise by adding more support than the conservative candidate Federico Gutiérrez and reaching 27 percent of the ballots.

Gutiérrez would be the third with 23.95 percent of the vote, while none of the other candidates exceeds 3 percent.

It is the third time that Gustavo Petro has stood for presidential elections in Colombia, but this time he was the favorite in the polls, and after the results of the first round he hopes to become the first left-wing president of Colombia.

Petro and his project are largely the result of the social protests of 2019 and 2020, which gave a political upheaval to the Colombian spectrum similar to that experienced in countries like Chile, Ecuador or Peru. The discontent has been reflected in a program called ‘Colombia world power of life’ that includes key points such as agrarian reform or security forces.

Petro, 62, is an economist by training, graduated from the Externado University, has a specialization in administration from the Higher School of Public Administration (ESAP) and a diploma in specialized studies in Development, Population and Environment from the Catholic University from Leuven.

The second most voted candidate was millionaire Hernández, a defender of the fight against bureaucracy and excessive public spending.

Hernández is a candidate for the League of Governors and the polls placed him as the third option, although he has caused a surprise and will compete for the presidency with Petro.

672252.1.260.149.20220530003847