Colombia elects conservative lawyer Ivan Duque as president

Latin America

Newly elected Colombian president Ivan Duque (C) celebrates with his family and supporters in Bogota, after winning the presidential runoff election on June 17, 2018. (AFP PHOTO / RAUL ARBOLEDA)

Right-wing candidate Ivan Duque was elected Colombia’s president on Sunday beating leftist rival Gustavo Petro in a win that allays fears the country’s economic model will be overhauled but raises the prospect a peace accord with Marxist rebels will be changed.

With 97 percent of polling stations counted, Duque had 54 percent of votes, while Petro had 42 percent.

CGTN’s Michelle Begue with the latest:

Duque’s win could mean the end of the peace deal with FARC, the nation’s largest guerrilla group. Duque has said that he will prosecute leaders of the group.

More than 11,000 polling stations opened on Sunday to receive many of the 36 million registered voters in Colombia casting votes in the presidential runoff. It was the first presidential election since a peace deal was reached with the FARC.

Story by Reuters and CGTN.


Mauricio Santoro Rocha on what to expect after Colombia’s runoff elections

CGTN’s Frances Kuo interviewed Mauricio Santoro Rocha of the State University of Rio de Janeiro about what changes are expected after Colombia’s runoff elections.