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Why Gustavo Petro's victory is so significant
Liberation welcomes the Colombian election result, the first time the brutally unequal nation so in the thrall of US influence, for years torn apart by civil war and drug traffickers, has ever been lead by a left-winger
Gustavo Petro, left, his wife Veronica Alcocer, back center, and his running mate Francia Marquez, celebrate before supporters after winning a runoff presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022.

FOLLOWING the recent presidential vote in Colombia, Liberation welcomes the victory of the Historic Pact alliance and the election of Gustavo Petro and Francia Marquez to the roles of President and Vice-President.

The politics of Colombia has for too long been dominated by the right-wing parties, representing the interests of the wealthy and aligned to the foreign policy diktats of the US.

The World Bank study of Colombia’s economy, Building an Equitable Society in Colombia (2021), noted that the “country has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the world, the second highest among 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the highest among all OECD countries.”

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