AfricaNow! June 29, 2022 Dissecting Colombia’s Historic Election and Beyond

Topic and Guest: On June 19 voters in Colombia elected the Historic Pact ticket of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez.   The presidential run-off on June 19 followed the first round on May 29 which featured seven candidates in which none secured 50% of the vote.  The top two vote-getters of first round of the presidential election on May 29, Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernandez faced each other in the second round on June 19.  During the June 19th presidential run-off Gustavo Petro gained 50.4% of the votes while right-wing opponent Rodolfo Hernandez received 47.3% of the votes.  The run-off attracted 58% of the registered voters—the highest turnout since 1998. (Source: The peaceful revolution of Colombia’s “nobodies” by Adriaan Alsema, Colombia Reports, June 20, 2022 https://colombiareports.com/the-peaceful-revolution-of-colombias-nobodies/)  The high voter turn-out in Colombia’s Pacific coast was key the historic victory of leftist Gustavo Petro.  The Pacific coast is heavily populated by the often-marginalized Afro descendant and Indigenous communities.

When inaugurated on August 7, Gustavo Petro will be the first leftist president and Francia Márquez will be the first Afro-Colombian vice president in the Colombia's history.  Lawyer, Afro-Colombian human-rights and environmental activist Francia Márquez will also be the second woman vice president.  

The show features a recent conversation about the election and its aftermath with Marino Córdoba Berrio, Afro-Colombian Activist, President of the National Association for Displaced Afro-Colombians (AFRODES).  Marino Córdoba is a former union organizer; he also worked on the constitutional changes in 1991 that recognized Afro-Colombians as one of the minority communities which led to Law 70 in 1993.   Law 70 in 1993 recognized Afro-Colombians’ rights over their collective land, natural resources, minerals, and their environment, political participation rights in the congress.  The conversation with Marino Córdoba explored the meaning of the results, the role of marginalized population of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities, the promises and demands made of making the society more equitable, implementation of the 2016 peace accord between FARC and the Colombian government, challenges ahead and more.  

MUSIC ON THE SHOW: At beginning is--“PACIFICO AMOROSO” BY GRUPO BAHÍA; at the break--“NUMBER ONE” BY PATRICE RUSHEN commemorating Black Music Month; and at the closing is--“LA HABANA NO AGUANTA MÁS” BY LOS VAN VAN, commemorating Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Photos sources: Lines of People Voting and Marino Córdoba in front of the Petro-Marquez Poster—Marino Córdoba; 
Ballot Box—https://www.telesurenglish.net/__export/1655672278714/sites/telesur/img/2022/06/19/xjbarreto1974.jpg_1718483346.jpg

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Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC. Tune into AfricaNow! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (Eastern).

AfricaNow! Jun. 29, 2022 Dissecting Colombia’s Historic Election and Beyond

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AfricaNow! Jun. 29, 2022 Dissecting Colombia’s Historic Election and Beyond

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