Colombia: LatAm Leaders Celebrate Petro’s Historic Victory

Preliminary results of the electoral pre-count by Colombia's National Registrar's Office reveal that Gustavo Petro has defeated his rival, Rodolfo Hernandez, in the second round of the country's presidential election.

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In view of this situation, the high authorities of several Latin American countries reacted to the victory of the leftist leader, among them the President of Colombia himself, Iván Duque.

From Cuba, President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the victory of the Colombian politician as a "historic popular victory", while he expressed his desire to promote "the development of bilateral relations for the welfare of our peoples".

Likewise, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro congratulated Petro's "historic victory", indicating that "new times are on the horizon for our brother country". It is worth mentioning that during Duque's administration, both nations experienced the rupture of their bilateral relations.

The Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, stated that Petro's triumph "may be the end of that curse and the dawn for that brotherly and worthy people", thus referring to the assassination of the liberal candidate Eliécer Gaitán, which led to a violent outbreak that lasted for decades in Colombia.

In Chile, the head of state Gabriel Boric congratulated the Colombian president-elect and encouraged Latin America to unite in facing the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

In addition, Xiomara Castro of Honduras congratulated the brave Colombians for opting for "a historic social change".

Likewise, governments of other Latin American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador sent their congratulations. "The triumph obtained by Petro and Marquez fills me with joy", said the Argentinean president, Alberto Fernandez. While Ecuador's Guillermo Lasso reiterated his willingness to "strengthen friendship and cooperation, prioritizing development and integration" between both peoples.

In turn, the Bolivian Luis Arce congratulated the people and president of Colombia on their victory. "Latin American integration is strengthened. We join the celebration of the Colombian people," he said. The Peruvian president expressed his country's support to his newly elected peer, calling Petro's success ”historic" and "democratic".

On Twitter, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Evo Morales of Bolivia, as well as former Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed their support for the winner of Colombia's presidential election. 

"Latin America in celebration: Gustavo Petro the new president of Colombia. Long live Colombia! Long live the Patria Grande! Until victory always!" wrote Correa.

Lula congratulated Petro and the Colombian nation, "His victory strengthens democracy and progressive forces in Latin America," he said.

For his part, Luis Almagro, secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS), considered the Colombian presidential election as “exemplary”, saying that from that organization they "vowed to work together for democracy, human rights, security, and development".