Leftist Is New Colombian President; Macron Loses Majority In France

Colombians elected a leftist leader as their new president, while French President Emmanuel Macron lost control of parliament on Sunday, June 19, 2022.

Photo Insert: Colombia's newly-elected Prime Minister, Gustavo Petro, was a former rebel and longtime senator.

Gustavo Petro, a former rebel and longtime senator, was elected the country's first leftist leader in a race against construction magnate Rodolfo Hernandez, while Macron failed to fend off efforts from France's far left and far right to block a parliamentary majority, according to United Press International's (UPI) Daniel Uria.

Petro edged out a victory, winning 50.57% of the vote with more than 97% of the vote counted Sunday, while Hernandez garnered 47.16%, the New York Times reported.

Petro hailed the win as a "victory for God and for the people" in a tweet on Sunday (early Monday, June 20, 2022, in Manila.) "Today is a holiday for the people," he wrote. "Let them celebrate the first popular victory. May so many sufferings be cushioned in the joy that today floods the heart of the Homeland."

Petro will take office in August and will have to deal with issues such as rising violence, deforestation in the Colombian Amazon, a lack of opportunity, and threats to democracy.

He built his platform on agrarian reform, progressive taxation, environmentally clean energy, long-term economic development, and government investment in public education and healthcare.

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