After a solid display in Colombia’s congressional race and a landslide win in his coalition’s internal consultation, pollsters now have Gustavo Petro in pole position to become the first left-wing president in the country’s history.
With almost five decades in politics, despite being just 61 years of age, Mr. Petro witnessed firsthand how violence during the Cold War era made Colombia one of the most dangerous places on Earth in which to participate in public affairs.
As a member of the armed left, he was a protagonist in multiple landmark moments in the country’s contemporary history, from the demobilization...
