rodolfo hernandez Archives

Clara Ines Yalanda, 36, in front of the house in an informal settlement in Popayan, Colombia, where she lives with her 4-year-old daughter, Valentina. Fifteen people live in the house, including Ines's parents, her brothers and sisters, and their children / credit: Antonio Acascio

What Petro & Hernández Offer Colombia’s Urban Poor As They Head Off in the Second-Round Presidential Election

Natalia Torres Garzon June 17, 2022 Natalia Torres Garzon

Sunday’s second-round presidential election in Colombia could transform the lives of residents in informal settlements, which make up 65 percent of housing in the country's cities. Former-militant-turned-politician Gustavo Petro and millionaire businessman Rodolfo Hernández approach the country's urban housing crisis and environmental policy in different ways, reports Natalia Torres Garzon with photography by Antonio Cascio.

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.

Charo Mina Rojas, a member of Proceso de Comunidades Negras, an alliance of Afro-descendant organizations in Colombia, shows her voter registration card after voting for Gustavo Petro on Sunday in the first round of the presidential election / credit: Julie Varughese

‘You Can’t Combat Corruption with Phrases on TikTok’: Gustavo Petro Denounces Flashy Competitor As Colombian Presidential Election Heads to Second Round

Julie Varughese May 30, 2022 Julie Varughese

Former militant-turned-politician Gustavo Petro had sharp words for his opponent, who is thought to have won first-round presidential election votes among the Colombian youth because of his presence on the social media platform, TikTok. TF editor Julie Varughese reports from Colombia.