Colombia elections: What’s at stake?
NOVANEWS
By Nathalie Hrizi
Signing ceremony for the peace accord between the FARC and the Colombian government. Photo: Government of Chile
On June 17, leftist candidate Gustavo Petro will square off against far-right candidate Ivan Duque in a runoff election in Colombia. At stake in the elections is the survival of the peace process and the question of social and economic reform.
In the May 27 presidential elections, the first since the 2016 accords ending the civil war, Petro won 25 percent of the vote and Duque finished first with 39 percent. Because the winning candidate needs a majority to secure victory, run-off elections are now scheduled to take place.
One of the most surprising developments in regards to the election was the percentage of the electorate who voted — 54 percen...