BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Former rebel Gustavo Petro narrowly won a runoff election over a political outsider millionaire Sunday, ushering in a new era of politics for Colombia by becoming the country’s first leftist president. - Leftist ex-guerrilla Gustavo Petro took the lead over millionaire businessman rival Rodolfo Hernandez in early results of Colombia's presidential vote on Sunday, according to a live count on the Latin American country's election authority website. About 39 million people were eligible to vote Sunday, but abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election since 1990. Petro’s showing was the latest leftist political victory in Latin America fueled by voters’ desire for change. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election.

Source: Huffington Post June 20, 2022 08:58 UTC