Duque and Petro Prevail in Colombia’s First Round Presidential Election

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On May 27, 2018, close to 20 million Colombians voted in their nation’s first-round presidential election. It was the highest turnout for an election in 20 years, and the most peaceful day of voting in over half a century. The contest trimmed the field down to two candidates, the rightwing protégée of former President Álvaro Uribe, Iván Duque, and the leftwing, ex-guerrilla, former Mayor of Bogotá, Gustavo Petro. The second round will take place on June 17, and the fate of Colombia’s delicate peace deal with the FARC guerrillas is very much in question. The election will also offer a choice between two entirely different visions of Colombia’s future. Political prognosticators throughout the region weighed in.

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