Explaining Brazil #199: Who will face off against Petro in Colombia?

This Sunday, May 29, voters in Colombia will go to the polls for the first round of their long-awaited presidential election. Left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro has been the frontrunner for most of the campaign, in what could mark a massive shift in the country’s electoral politics. 

But as we approach Election Day, the latest polls suggest that the race is far from over and there is potential for a few surprises on Sunday evening.

One populist outsider has gained ground among the electorate, and might just be in with a chance of winning if he makes it to the runoff.

Listen and subscribe to our podcast from your mobile device:

Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Deezer

Guest:

• Ignacio Portes is The Brazilian Report’s Buenos Aires correspondent. He writes the Latin America Weekly newsletter and covers affairs around the continent. He previously worked for the Buenos Aires Herald and The Bubble, and has written for outlets such as Al Jazeera and The Financial Times.

This episode used music from Uppbeat. License codes: IOSKSHKQCR8NMVMH, NOALAGQ6R9DMPSWE

Background reading:

• Polls show Gustavo Petro as the clear favorite in Colombia’s upcoming presidential election. Ignacio Portes, our Latin America correspondent, takes a look at his political history.
• Big tax and spending hikes, a pension reform, and a ban on oil exploration are the highlights of campaign promises proposed by Gustavo Petro. An overly ambitious agenda, perhaps?
• Earlier this month, Mr. Petro denounced plans to assassinate him. That alone would be a worrying development anywhere, but it is something that cannot be ignored in Colombia, where precedents abound.
• Former President Álvaro Uribe has been Colombia’s biggest political name for many years. But he has experienced something of fall from grace, as we explained in episode #121 of Explaining Brazil.
• Oil price shocks have often sparked socio-political unrest in Latin America. With slow growth and high inflation exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, the region could see more turmoil this year.

Do you have a suggestion for our next Explaining Brazil podcast? Drop us a line at podcast@brazilian.report

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

• #colombia
• #democracy
• #elections