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The 2018 presidential campaign of Gustavo Petro in 2018, Gustavo Petro was again a presidential candidate, this time getting the second best result in voting counting in the first round on 27 May, and advanced to the second round. His campaign was run by publicists Ángel Beccassino, Alberto Cienfuegos and Luis Fernando Pardo. A lawsuit was filed by citizens against Iván Duque, Petro's right-wing opponent, alleging bribery and fraud. The news chain Wradio made the lawsuit public on 11 July, which was presented to the CNE ('Consejo Nacional Electoral', National Electoral Council, by its acronym in Spanish). The state of the lawsuit will be defined by the Magistrado Alberto Yepes.

Petro's platform emphasized support for universal health care, public banking, a rejection of proposals to expand fracking and mining in favor of investing in clean energy, and land reform. Before the runoff, Petro received endorsements from senator-elect Antanas Mockus and senator Claudia López Hernández, both members of the Green Alliance.

In the second round of voting, Duque won the election with more than 10 million votes, while Petro took second place with 8 million votes. Duque was inaugurated on 7 August; meanwhile, Petro returned to the Senate. He served until the inauguration of a new congress in 2022.

Petro received death threats from the paramilitary group Águilas Negras.

Presidential ticket

Humane Colombia ticket, 2018
Gustavo Petro	Ángela Robledo
for President	for Vice President
Mayor of Bogotá (2012–2014)	Member of Chamber of Representatives (2010-2018)

Campaign background

The economist Gustavo Petro of Humane Colombia, a former mayor of Bogotá and former M-19 guerilla who was previously a candidate in the 2010 presidential election, ran a populist campaign focusing on decreasing inequality and tackling climate change. Supported by a coalition of left and centre-left parties, Petro also emphasised workers' rights and campaigned to improve labour conditions in both urban and rural areas. He aimed to reduce poverty by implementing land reforms and establishing a "popular bank" that would offer loans to impoverished citizens. Petro supported the introduction of state-funded universal healthcare that would replace the unpopular private-funded system. Furthermore, he sought to restrict the use of fossil fuels and intended to ban any further exploration of mining and fracking in favour of renewable energy sources. Several months before the election, Petro survived an assassination attempt when a bullet pierced through his armoured van. He presented himself as a successor to prominent slain left-wing politicians such as Jorge Eliecer Gaitan and Luis Carlos Galán. Petro furthermore highlighted the need to end political persecution in the country. Petro's opponents claimed that he would "turn Colombia into another Venezuela", citing his prior support for former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. Critics said his policy proposals would not attract foreign investment and that his plans to abandon non-renewable energy, which accounted for 2-4% of Colombia's GDP, were not feasible at the time. Opponents also claimed that his policies would result in an economic disaster.

Party representation

• Humane Colombia

See also

• Presidency of Gustavo Petro
• 2018 Colombian presidential election
• Gustavo Petro 2022 presidential campaign
• Gustavo Petro 2010 presidential campaign

References

1. "Elecciones Presidencia de la República". Archived from the original on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
2. "Los publicistas de Petro que la sacaron del estadio" (in Spanish). 16 June 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
3. "Demandan proceso de elección de Iván Duque en el Consejo de Estado". W Radio (in Spanish). 12 July 2018.
4. bogotapost (22 May 2018). "Presidential candidates: Gustavo Petro". The Bogotá Post. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
5. "Claudia López y Antanas Mockus anuncian que votarán por Gustavo Petro". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 8 June 2018. Archived from the original on 9 June 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
6. "Meet Gustavo Petro, Colombian Former Guerrilla & Leftist Who Mounted Historic Campaign for Presidency". Democracy Now. 10 August 2018.
7. "Gustavo Petro". gustavopetro.co (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
8. "Colombia's congress begins new session with ambitious reform agenda". Reuters. Bogotá. 21 July 2022. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
9. "Águilas Negras amenazan de muerte a Petro, Bolivar y a quien los apoye en Soacha". Las 2 Orillas (in Spanish). 8 September 2020.
10. "El opositor Pacto Histórico lanza su campaña electoral en Colombia". Efe (in Spanish). 20 January 2022.
11. Chetwynd, Gareth (11 May 2022). "Petro closing in on historic victory as Colombian oil industry is asked to take a bow | Upstream Online". Upstream Online. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
12. "Leftists Are Ascendant in Latin America as Key Elections Loom". The New York Times. 4 January 2022.
13. Rampietti, Alessandro (27 May 2018). "Colombia: Can leftist Gustavo Petro become president?". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
14. Newbery, Emma; Pritchard, Oli; Huigen, Freek (22 May 2018). "Presidential candidates: Gustavo Petro". The Bogotá Post. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.

• Progressive parties in Colombia
• Gustavo Petro
• 2018 presidential campaigns
• Presidency of Gustavo Petro