What to Expect from the Colombian Presidential Elections

In the first round of the presidential election, Colombians went to the polls, frustrated with the performance of the current government, the high levels of unemployment, and increased insecurity. The right leaning candidate, who had the support of the traditional political parties, came in third place and lost to a newcomer who ran independently. The results not only show the people’s disenchantment with the direction of the country and their lack of trust in the political establishment but a significant political shift.

On June 19, Colombians will cast their ballots for a second time to choose between Gustavo Petro, a left-wing senator, and Rodolfo Hernandez, a populist businessman. Whatever the outcome, the new government of Latin America’s third-largest country will have to address both recent and long-entrenched challenges. Juanita León, director and founder of La Silla Vacía, and Mauricio Cárdenas, former Colombian minister of finance, will discuss the economic and political context of the elections, and what one might expect from a Petro or Hernandez government on key issues such as unemployment, economic recovery, climate policy, and implementation of the peace process. Alejandro Werner, founding director of the Georgetown Americas Institute, will moderate the discussion.

Guests are invited to join the Zoom Webinar or watch the YouTube Livestream; the event will be carried out with simultaneous translation from Spanish to English.  

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made by June 10 to Carolina Marin A good faith effort will be made to fulfill requests made after June 10.