Colombia for the first time elected a leftist as its next president, but the slim victory is a cue that a large portion of the country rejects the ambitious proposals of Gustavo Petro, who will have to consider their concerns and negotiate with a divided Congress to be able to govern, let alone deliver on promises.
“Petro has set very high expectations from his proposals, and when he delivered his victory speech, he sort of inflated those expectations,” said Silvana Amaya, a senior analyst with the firm Control Risks. Amaya said a negotiated, scaled-down version of Petro’s proposed revenue-raising tax reform could be approved by Congress as the absence of one could put into question the government’s finances. But other plans will likely stall, she said. He wants the tax reform to finance social programs, including free higher education and subsidies for mothers who are heads of households.
But, Fraga added, “ … If he does not show a willingness to compromise and moderate some of his radical proposals, his ability to deliver on his promises will be undermined, causing his popularity to dip and increasing the risk of social unrest.” About 21.6 million of the 39 million eligible voters cast a ballot Sunday. Abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election since 1990.Polls ahead of the runoff had indicated Petro and Hernandez – both former mayors – were in a tight race since they topped four other candidates in the initial May 29 election. Neither got enough votes to win outright and headed into the runoff.
While her election is historic, some see her as a potential obstacle for Petro because of her unwillingness to make concessions to traditional parties.
China’s puppet?