Former rebel Gustavo Petro wins Colombia's presidential election

 BOGOTA, Colombia — Former rebellion Gustavo Petro narrowly received a runoff election over a political outsider millionaire Sunday, ushering in a brand new era of politics for Colombia with the aid of turning into the country's first leftist president.

Petro, a senator in his third attempt to win the presidency, got 50.48% of the votes, while actual property wealthy person Rodolfo Hernández had forty seven.26%, with almost all ballots counted, in keeping with effects released by election authorities.

Petro's victory underlined a drastic trade in presidential politics for a country that has lengthy marginalized the left for its perceived association with the armed war. Petro himself become as soon as a riot with the now-defunct M-19 movement and was granted amnesty after being jailed for his involvement with the group.

"nowadays is a day of birthday party for the people. Allow them to have fun the first popular victory," Petro tweeted. "may additionally such a lot of sufferings be cushioned within the joy that nowadays floods the heart of the place of birth."

Petro issued a call for cohesion for the duration of his victory speech and extended an olive department to some of his cruelest critics, announcing all individuals of the competition could be welcomed at the presidential palace "to discuss the problems of Colombia."

"From this government this is beginning there'll in no way be political persecution or felony persecution, there will only be respect and talk," he stated, adding that he'll listen to now not handiest those who have raised fingers however additionally to "that silent majority of peasants, Indigenous human beings, girls, kids."

Outgoing conservative President Iván Duque congratulated Petro rapidly after consequences had been introduced, and Hernández quick conceded his defeat.

"I take delivery of the end result, because it have to be, if we want our institutions to be firm," Hernández said in a video on social media. "I truly desire that this choice is useful for every person."

Colombia also elected its first Black woman to be vice chairman. Petro's strolling mate, Francia Márquez, is a lawyer and environmental leader whose competition to unlawful mining has led to threats and a grenade assault in 2019.

The vote got here amid extensive discontent over growing inequality, inflation and violence — elements that led electorate inside the election's first spherical ultimate month to turn their backs on long-governing centrist and proper-leaning politicians and choose two outsiders in Latin the usa's 1/3-maximum populous nation.

Petro's showing turned into the modern-day leftist political victory in Latin america fueled via electorate' choice for trade. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this yr's presidential election.

"What I do assume it indicates is that the method of fear, hate and stigmatization toward the left not works as a coverage to win citizens," said Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for Colombia on the firm international disaster institution.

But the effects have been a right away cause to stress for a few citizens whose closest connection with a leftist authorities is the afflicted neighboring Venezuela.

"we are hoping that Mr. Gustavo Petro complies with what become stated in his government plan, that he leads this united states to greatness, which we need a lot, and that (he) ends corruption," said Karin Ardila García, a Hernández supporter within the north-valuable metropolis of Bucaramanga. "That he does no longer lead to communism, to socialism, to a struggle where they continue to kill us in Colombia. ... (H)e does now not lead us to some other Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, Chile."

About 21.6 million of the 39 million eligible electorate forged a ballot  Sunday. Abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election considering 1990.

Petro, 62, can be formally declared winner after a proper matter with a view to take some days. Traditionally, the preliminary results have coincided with the very last ones.

Several heads of kingdom congratulated Petro on Sunday. So did a fierce critic, former President Álvaro Uribe, who stays a vital parent in Colombia's politics.

Polls in advance of the runoff had indicated Petro and Hernández — both former mayors — had been in a tight race since they topped 4 different applicants within the initial may also 29 election. Neither were given sufficient votes to win outright and headed into the runoff.

Petro gained 40% of the votes in the preliminary spherical and Hernández 28%, however the distinction quick narrowed as Hernández started to attract so-referred to as anti-Petrista citizens.

Petro has proposed bold pension, tax, fitness and agricultural reforms and modifications to how Colombia fights drug cartels and different armed corporations. But he could have a hard time delivering on his guarantees as he does now not have a majority in Congress, which is prime to wearing out reforms.

"The people who do assist him have very excessive hopes, and they're possibly going to be upset pretty quick whilst he can not flow things proper away," said Adam Isacson, an expert on Colombia on the Washington workplace on Latin the us assume tank.

"I suppose you might find a state of affairs where he both has to strike some deals and give up loads of his packages simply to get some things exceeded or the complete u . S . Might be gridlocked," Isacson added.

Petro is inclined to renew diplomatic members of the family with Venezuela, which were halted in 2019. He additionally wants to make adjustments to Colombia's family members with the united states by means of in search of a renegotiation of a loose exchange agreement and new answers within the combat in opposition to drug trafficking.

U.S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken stated in a declaration that the Biden administration seems ahead to working with Petro.

Hernández, who made his cash in real property, is not affiliated with any primary political celebration and rejected alliances. His austere campaign, waged totally on TikTok and different social media systems, turned into self-financed and primarily based mostly on a fight in opposition to corruption, which he blames for poverty and the lack of kingdom assets that could be used on social programs.

Polls say maximum Colombians agree with the u . S . A . Is heading within the incorrect course and disapprove of Duque, who became now not eligible to searching for reelection. The pandemic set again the country's anti-poverty efforts via as a minimum a decade. Legitimate figures show that 39% of Colombia's lived on much less than $89 a month last year.

The rejection of politics as standard "is a reflection of the fact that the humans are fed up with the identical people as usually," said Nataly Amezquita, a 26-yr-old civil engineer waiting to vote. "We should create greater social exchange. Many people in the u . S . A . Are not in the nice situation."

However even the 2 outsider applicants left her bloodless. She stated she would solid a blank poll: "I don't like either of the two applicants. ... Neither of them looks like an excellent individual to me."