The leading candidates for president in Colombia will face off in a run-off election next month. Ivan Duque won the most votes, but came short of winning outright. CGTN's Toby Muse has more.

Ivan Duque of the right-wing Centro Democratico party won 39% of the vote, taking 7.5 million votes in a race among five candidates.

IVAN DUQUE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE "This is a new opportunity for a new generation that wants to govern Colombia for everyone and with everyone."

Second place went to the left-wing Gustavo Petro, who took 25% of the vote. The two will face off in a decisive vote on June 17. It was a historic election, the first in more than 50 years without the threat of FARC rebels, following a peace agreement in 2016. The former rebel leader of the FARC, Rodrigo Londono, proudly tweeted that this was his first vote in a presidential election. President Juan Manuel Santos had promised the safest election in Colombia's history and it may well turn out to be, with no major incidents reported. The fact that the two most extreme candidates won the first round reflects an angry electorate and a polarized election campaign. The vast majority of Colombians believe the country is on the wrong track, with a sluggish economy and rampant corruption. And they came out in droves to vote, the abstention rate dropping markedly from the last election.

GUSTAVO PETRO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE "You can be sure that we will win and that Colombian history will be changed."

The campaigns fought over diverse issues from relations with neighboring Venezuela, corruption and the peace process itself, with Duque the only candidate promising a much tougher agreement with the rebels.

TOBY MUSE BOGOTA "Duque and Petro will fight for the millions of Colombians who voted for neither of them. But after tonight, Duque's path to the presidency looks by far the easiest. Toby Muse, CGTN, Bogota."