On October 29, Colombian voters largely chose opposition candidates over President Gustavo Petro’s Historic Pact party.
This marked a setback for Petro’s influence in key cities like Cali, Medellín, and Bogotá.
Political analyst Fernando Posada emphasized the defeats. He noted these are cities where Petro and his allies have ruled before.
In Bogotá, Gustavo Bolívar, a candidate from Petro’s party, came in third.
After the loss, Bolívar remained hopeful. He said the party will recover as economic reforms start to show results.
Meanwhile, opposition candidates won in several major cities. Federico ‘Fico’ Gutiérrez of the Creemos party took Medellín with a big lead.
Alejandro Char of the Radical Change party did the same in Barranquilla. In Cali, Álvaro Alejandro Eder Garcés, supported by various opposition groups, also won.
Background
The election results send a strong message about the waning influence of Petro’s Historic Pact party in Colombian cities.
This decline is noteworthy, as Petro himself once served as the mayor of Bogotá. Although the party faces defeats now, it still has representation in local councils.
This can’t hide the fact that the losses are a big setback for a party once seen as a powerhouse in these urban centers.
Public discontent with the current administration may be driving the shift towards opposition parties.
The real question is whether the Historic Pact can regain public trust before the next election cycle.
Bolívar’s optimistic remarks point to an internal belief in the party’s ability to recover. Future elections will be the true test of the party’s resilience and relevance.