afro-descendant

How the 2021 national strike looked in Buenaventura, Colombia / credit: Black Agenda Report

Threats and Voter Intimidation Hush Colombians In Run-Up to Second-Round Presidential Election Season

Julie Varughese June 6, 2022 Julie Varughese

Observers of the first-round presidential elections in Colombia shared with Toward Freedom irregularities they encountered in Buenaventura, a predominantly Afro-descendant city on the Pacific coast. This comes as it appears a left-wing candidate who faces death threats is surging in a recent poll against his social-media-savvy competitor, reports TF Editor Julie Varughese.

Left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro (bottom left on the mic) addressing a crowd in Colombia / credit: Gustavo Petro

Colombian Presidential Candidate Gustavo Petro May Clinch a Win for the Left—But Will He Seek the Support of Afro-Descendant Francia Márquez?

Julie Varughese March 13, 2022 Julie Varughese

Many say the upcoming Colombian presidential election looks to be the most consequential in decades. Everyone Toward Freedom spoke to agreed militant-turned-politician Gustavo Petro is the strongest candidate on the left. But what role can Afro-descendant presidential candidate Francia Márquez play in building out a popular base of support for left-wing politics in conservative Colombia? TF Editor Julie Varughese reports.