Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 18 June 2018

Former guerrilla, young conservative vie to lead Colombia

By CHRISTINE ARMARIO in a small town in north-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — ern Colombia. Supporters
Voters looking to move past of Duque accused Petro
five decades of bloody backers of launching the
conflict in Colombia were bees in an act of "biologi-
choosing between a for- cal terrorism."
mer leftist guerrilla and a "Now African bees as Petris-
young conservative law- tas," Petro groaned later on
maker to lead the nation as Twitter, using the play on his
it implements a still-fragile last name used to describe
peace accord. his supporters. "Is it because
One-time militant and for- they are worker bees?"
mer Bogota mayor Gus- Officials later said the more
tavo Petro and frontrunner likely explanation was that
Ivan Duque harbor con- Uribe's helicopter had
trasting views on the his- stirred the bees into a fren-
toric accord ending Latin zy.
America's longest-running Petro, a former member
conflict and could signifi- of the M-19 guerrilla group
cantly shape how Colom- that signed a peace ac-
bia proceeds with putting cord with the government
key aspects of it into mo- in 1990, is promising to over-
tion. This combination of two May 27, 2018 file photos shows Colombian presidential candidates haul Colombia's economic
Petro is vowing to uphold Gustavo Petro, left, and Ivan Duque, in Bogota, Colombia. model. He wants to free
the 310-page deal reached Associated Press Colombia from depen-
in 2016 while Duque wants dency on fossil fuel exports
to make changes like re- The hopes and fears of dream," Duque said. "For Colombia's economy and and raise agricultural pro-
quiring ex-combatants to many voters were palpable Colombia to be governed weakening illegal armed duction by increasing taxes
serve time before entering as Colombians lined up at by a new generation, one groups, Uribe presided over on unused lands and giv-
politics if they are guilty of voting centers. Petro sup- that wants to govern for all the government at a time ing them to poor farmers if
crimes against humanity. porters said they believe and with. One that unites when military officers killed the owners sell them to the
Under the final agreement, the nation needs a radical the country and turns the thousands of poor civilians state. His early fondness for
rebels who fully confess change to uproot endemic page on corruption." who were then dressed up the late Venezuelan social-
and offer reparations to corruption and inequal- Duque is the protege of as rebels to inflate body ist leader Hugo Chavez
victims are unlikely to be ity, while Duque loyalists powerful former President counts in exchange for va- and a now-ditched cam-
sent behind bars. expressed worry his leftist Alvaro Uribe. On the cusp cations and bonus pay. paign pledge to rewrite the
"Undoubtedly, for the rival would lead Colombia of turning 42, Duque would After casting his vote Sun- constitution have nonethe-
peace process, this is an toward becoming "another become the youngest day, Uribe said Duque is less stirred fears among de-
important test," said Pa- Venezuela." president in Colombia in the best guarantee against tractors.
tricia Munoz, a professor "For me, neither was an op- more than a century. Critics Colombia falling victim to "He's a dangerous person,"
of political science at the tion," said Adriana Suarez, are wary that the father-of- "destructive socialism" in said Katherine Cuellar,
Pontifical Xavierian Univer- 28, who supported a more three's limited experience the mold of Venezuela, 39, who works in the de-
sity in Bogota. centrist candidate who lost in politics could leave him the country's crisis-wracked sign industry and voted for
Duque won a first-round in the first round and decid- dependent on Uribe, who neighbor. Duque.
vote held in June, top- ed to cast a blank ballot in is the leader of his party's In a sign of how tense re- But Petro's message res-
ping Petro by 14 percent- the runoff. bloc in the Senate. lations between the two onated with voters like
age points but falling short Packed crowds cheered Though millions of Colom- camps remain, even acts businesswoman Patricia
of the majority needed to and took pictures with their bians praise Uribe, some of nature have turned into Cardenas, 39, who said
avoid a runoff. Recent polls cell phones as the candi- giving him an even cult- fodder for political jousting. she is fed up with the same
indicate Duque still holds dates showed up at their like status, others contend A week before the vote, a politicians who have failed
a decisive advantage but polling sites. Both were ac- his advances as president swarm of aggressive bees to deliver on their promises.
suggest the distance be- companied by their chil- came at the price of grave attacked supporters who "With him we are going to
tween the candidates was dren. human rights abuses. While showed up to see Uribe have real change," she
narrowing. "I've come here to fulfill a he succeeded in boosting speak at a Duque rally said.q