Left wing Gustavo Petro’s election victory in Colombia signals the rise of a new brand of socialism in the region. Politicians in the country say that this new victory would mean better lives for marginalized groups such as women, Afro-Colombians, LGBTQ+, working class, disabled people, and people who have been disproportionately impacted by poverty in the country. Former Mayor Gustavo Petro and his candidate for Vice President made history by securing more than 50 percent of the votes in the Colombian election which set up the country to form its first ever left-wing, progressive government. It was not an easy victory, and Gustavo ran against right-wing construction magnate Rodolfo Hernandez who had the backing of the previous right-wing president Ivan Duque who had been in power for more than two decades and controlled many aspects of the media and government.
Despite running on an aggressive and well-funded platform of anti-corruption, Hernandez was facing corruption allegations himself and failed to win enough support to win the election. In an election with the highest voter turnout in Colombian history, millions instead chose to vote for a left-wing leader that focused on anti-establishment that promised both social and economic changes for the country. Years of grassroots organizing and campaigning helped build a large left-wing coalition and there were signs of this shift long before the election occurred. In 2019 Ivan Duque, the former right-wing president, announced that there would be a cut on minimum wage for workers 25 years and younger. which caused many strikes to begin among the youth and working class. I think that this is inspiring because it shows that change really can be made if your voices are made clear and that there are actually people out there who are able to listen.
Colombia’s government and politics have been continuing to shift to the left over the years. In 2021, people began taking to the streets to protest for better education, public education, and healthcare, and it is clear that the country is lacking many social programs that are need to provide for the public. The government responded to these protests with violence and 44 people were killed, which only continued to make the protests stronger and the voices for change became even louder than before. Despite resistance from the well-established regime, it was clear that now people were ready for a real change in 2022. Campaign proposals by Gustavo Petro made it clear that he wanted to put tax reforms in place and improve the healthcare system in Colombia. The right-wing government proposed that these changes were “too ambitious” and “unrealistic,” but it was clear the the people of Colombia had enough of not receiving social benefits and having to deal with poverty and other lacking areas in the economy and transportation.