Colombia: Juan Manuel Santos Re-elected After Close Contest

This Sunday, June 15^th 2014, two Colombian candidates went for the second round of presidential elections, following a first round on May 25^th in which no party won more than 50% of the votes. The two candidates, Juan Manuel Santos and Óscar Iván Zuluaga, represented the two most popular parties in Colombia currently: the Social Party of National Unity and the Democratic Center, respectively. Santos, who became the successful winner of Sunday’s elections, was going for a reelection of another 4-year presidential term, while Zuluaga was running as the representative of Álvaro Uribe, ex-president of Colombia, and his policies and philosophies. Throughout their campaign, and especially in the final stretch after May 25^th and before the second round of elections, the electorate was very polarized in opinion between these two candidates and the policies they promised to deliver. 

One of the main points of contention was the different philosophies both candidates have in regards to the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and other guerrillas. What made Uribe famous during his presidency, and what Zuluaga wanted to take up as his own policies had he won the elections, was his “firm hand” with the guerrillas. Much like Mexico’s Felipe Calderón and his “War on Drugs,” Uribe put military pressure on outlawed groups like the FARC, leaving no room for negotiation with them. On the other hand, Santos, who began the Peace Talks with the FARC in 2012, holds the philosophy that these guerrilla groups must not be beaten down by force, but that, in a ceasefire, their members should be allowed to rehabilitate and make their way back into society, and even gain representation in the government. The Colombian government and FARC members have met in Cuba for negotiations, and just recently, these talks have seen results.

The campaign towards this presidential election became all the more heated as several scandals were unveiled, which compromised the reputation of both candidates. Santos’ campaign strategist, Juan José Rendón, was accused of having paid for the surrender of 7 drug traffickers in 2010. The strategist then gave up his charge as part of Santos’ campaign so as not to stain his name further. On Zuluaga’s part, there were scandals in which he was accused of hacking information and intercepting communication about the meetings in La Havana between the FARC and the Colombian government. Although both candidates denied the veracity of the accusations, these weakened their reputation and image of transparency only a short time before the second round of elections.  

With a 50.45% lead, then, Juan Manuel Santos is reelected as president of Colombia, and as expected, will continue with his policies of the more center-left party, as well as with the negotiations as resolve to the armed conflict with the FARC forces.