Colombia presidential election: A look at candidate Gustavo Petro

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Gustavo Petro, Bogota’s former mayor, is a leading candidate in the 2018 Colombia presidential election. Most view him as a left-winged candidate because of his proposals.

But in an interview with CGTN, Petro said he wants to be seen as the “progressive” candidate, calling for a “Colombia humana,” or humane Colombia, as his slogan states.

“The humane Colombia is a country with social reforms that will permit harmonious living, and a profound democracy, that is the formula needed to end decades of violence and peace for this country,” Petro explained.

Petro said his primary proposal is to concentrate on combating climate change by diversifying the country’s energy from oil, Colombia’s top export, to renewable and clean energy. He believes relying on the volatile price of oil is not sustainable in the long-term.

Supporters of Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, from Colombia Humana party, take part in a campaign rally in Bogota, May 17, 2018. /AFP Photo

Petro also said Colombia should move away from what he calls “ineffective” drug policies led by the US. Instead, he calls on economic development to “move the population away” from the illicit trade.

"An anti-drug policy for me is to take the population [from traffickers], it is also democratic agrarian reform for the cultivators of cocoa […] and finally taking away the consumers,” Petro said.

Supporter turnout at rallies has been high. The campaign claims they are completely organic and unpaid for. But his question remains if this will lead to votes on election day. If Petro wins, he will make history in a conservative country, becoming the first left-leaning president in Colombia’s history.