BOGOTA, Colombia – For most of Colombia’s history, the far left has been associated with the civil war and guerrilla groups. But now that that war is mostly over, the left-wing could be on the verge of an historic, political victory.
More than 1,600 candidates across the country are vying for 300 seats in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Nicolas de Francisco comes from the radical change party, a party allied with center-right President Ivan Duque.
“Ivan Duque, I really believe is a really good intentioned guy. But the public in general sees him as a president who hasn’t been able to rally the people behind him, " said de Francisco.
Duque’s disapproval rating stands at near 70 percent, battered by the economic fallout of the pandemic. Also by weeks-long protests last year over his proposed tax reforms.
That public discontent has opened up even more political space for Gustavo Petro. A left-winger and former M-10 guerilla fighter, Petro is leading ahead of presidential elections in May.
Petro received more than eight million votes in the 2018 presidential elections but lost in the second round to Duque, who reached 10.3 million votes.
He hopes candidates like Mafe Carrascal can also achieve a historic left-wing victory in the Colombian house and senate.
“What I’ve seen is people want a change. A real change. The pandemic revealed so many injustices,” said Carrascal.
“What Petro is doing is he is having a populist discourse,” said de Francisco.
Candidates opposing Petro like de Francisco have spent much of their time in recent weeks talking about his proposals. A clear sign a leftist remains the frontrunner on traditionally center-right Colombia.
More than 38.8 million Colombians are eligible to vote next Sunday, most of them in urban areas.
Colombians abroad can vote in these elections through Sunday as well. There are a handful of polling stations in South Florida. You can find those locations on the Consulate of Colombia in Miami website.