gustavo petro

Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro (right) announced in March Afro-Colombian activist Francia Márquez as his vice-presidential running mate on the Pacto Histórico ticket / credit: Twitter / Francia Márquez

Polls Put Left-Wing Candidates Facing Death Threats In the Lead to Win Colombia’s First-Round In Historic Presidential Election

Julie Varughese May 27, 2022 Julie Varughese

Onlookers say Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez's popularity might explain a surge in death threats against the Colombian candidates for president and vice president, respectively. The ticket is striking: Petro is a former guerilla-turned-elected-official while Márquez is an award-winning Afro-descendant activist. The pair have inspired people in the country, which has been torn apart by decades of paramilitary violence, partly due to being tied politically, militarily and economically to the United States, 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.