Colombian Territorial Elections 2023: President Gustavo Petro Responds to Loss of Support and Promises Collaboration for a New Direction

2023-10-30 09:33:20

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petrocongratulated all the rulers and elected representatives in the territorial elections this Sunday (10/29/2023) and committed to working together, following the results show a loss of support for the ruling party and a return to traditional politics.

“I congratulate all the leaders and representatives elected today. We will work to articulate their campaign proposals so that we can jointly build a country that combats corruption, injustice and faces the climate change crisis,” he said. Petro in a presidential address following the results of the municipal and departmental elections were known.

Almost 39 million people were qualified in Colombia to elect governors, deputies, mayors, councilors and other local authorities for the period 2024-2027. With 55% participation, the mayoralties of Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla remained in the hands of opponents or candidates disengaged from the leftist government.

Carlos Fernando Galán (New Liberalism) won the mayoralty of Bogotá with 49% of the votes, while the mayoralty of Medellín went to the right-wing Federico Gutiérrez; that of Cali, for the businessman Alejandro Éder and in Barranquilla the former mayor Alejandro Char (center-right) won.

In power since August 2022, Petro suffered an electoral setback in elections that are considered an evaluation of the current administration. With a disapproval of 60% according to the most recent Invamer survey, the first left-wing president in the history of the South American country received what is called a punishment at the polls with a background of corruption scandals that surround your family, difficulties in agreeing to peace with armed groups and increasing violence.

mn (efe, afp)

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