GUSTAVO PETRO

(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) (Fernando Vergara)BOGOTA, Colombia — (AP) — Colombia’s first leftist president presented an ambitious tax plan on Monday that aims to raise up to $11 billion a year for anti-poverty programs. Less than 24 hours after taking his presidential oath, the new president presented a tax reform plan to his nation’ s congress that will increase income taxes on wealthy individuals and place a 10% levy on oil exports. Last year, an effort by conservative President Iván Duque to raise income taxes and some sales taxes sparked massive protests in which more than 50 people were killed. Petro’s incoming finance minister said the new tax reform plan will only attempt to raise income taxes on the wealthiest 2% of individuals. Colombia’s congress will now have to debate Petro’s proposed plan, which is expected to affect several areas of the economy.

Colombia’s first leftist president has presented an ambitious tax plan that aims to raise up to $11 billion a year for anti-poverty programs.

Sen. Gustavo Petro won the presidential election in June by beating conservative parties who failed to connect with frustrated voters.

Colombia New President Supporters of new President Gustavo Petro display a painting of him with new Vice-President Francia Marquez as they wait for their swearing-in ceremony at the Bolivar square in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) (Ariana Cubillos)BOGOTA, Colombia — (AP) — Colombia’s first leftist president was sworn into office Sunday, promising to fight inequality and heralding a turning point in the history of a country haunted by a long war between the government and guerrilla groups. Petro, 62, has promised to tackle Colombia's social and economic inequalities by boosting spending on anti-poverty programs and increasing investment in rural areas. The risk Petro faces is that he goes after too many reforms at once and gets nothing” through Colombia’s congress. That’s a big change for Colombia where previous presidential inaugurations were more somber events limited to a few hundred VIP guests.

Colombia New President Supporters of new President Gustavo Petro display a flag as they wait for his swearing-in ceremony at the Bolivar square in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) (Ariana Cubillos)BOGOTA, Colombia — (AP) — Colombia’s first leftist president will be sworn into office Sunday, promising to fight inequality and heralding a turning point in the history of a country haunted by a long war between the government and guerrilla groups. Petro, 62, has promised to tackle Colombia's social and economic inequalities by boosting spending on anti-poverty programs and increasing investment in rural areas. The risk Petro faces is that he goes after too many reforms at once and gets nothing” through Colombia’s congress. That’s a big change for Colombia where previous presidential inaugurations were more somber events limited to a few hundred VIP guests.

Sen. Gustavo Petro won the presidential election by beating conservative parties who failed to connect with frustrated voters.

Colombia's first leftist president will be sworn into office Sunday, promising to fight inequality and heralding a turning point in the history of the country.

Colombia Petro Colombia's President-elect Gustavo Petro speaks to students at Externado University in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Petro gave a talk to students at his alma mater where he studied economics, ahead of his Aug. 7 inauguration. Petro, 62, has promised to tackle Colombia's social and economic inequalities by boosting spending on anti-poverty programs and increasing investment in rural areas. The risk Petro faces is that he goes after too many reforms at once and gets nothing” through Colombia’s congress. That’s a big change for Colombia where previous presidential inaugurations were more somber events limited to a few hundred VIP guests.

Colombia’s first leftist President will be sworn into office on Sunday, in a colorful ceremony that marks a turning point in the South American nation’s history

Colombia’s first leftist president has been sworn into office, promising to fight inequality and bring peace to a country long haunted by bloody feuds between the government, drug traffickers and rebel groups.

The U.N. special envoy for Colombia says that “there are good reasons for optimism” about the country’s incoming left-leaning administration

BOGOTA, Colombia — (AP) — Cocaine production in Colombia remained near record levels in 2021, according to estimates released on Thursday by the White House, raising the stakes for bilateral cooperation between the United States and Colombia's next administration. The figures for cocaine production are slightly lower than in 2020, when the nation produced 994 tons of cocaine and planted 245,000 hectares of coca, according to the White House’s annual study. But cocaine production is still significantly higher than ten years ago, when Colombia produced an estimated 273 tons of the drug. In its statement, the White House also noted that cocaine production remains high in Peru and Bolivia, which are the world’s second and third largest producers of the drug. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24,500 people in the United States died in 2021 from cocaine overdoses, while fentanyl overdoses killed 71,000 people.

Cocaine production in Colombia remained near record levels in 2021, according to estimates released by the White House, raising the stakes for bilateral cooperation between the United States and Colombia’s next administration

Colombia US Ambassador FILE - Luis Gilberto Murillo gives a press conference to announce he is the running mate of presidential candidate Sergio Fajardo in Bogota, Colombia, March 17, 2022. Colombia's President-elect Gustavo Petro appointed Murillo as the country's new ambassador to the United States, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File) (Fernando Vergara)WASHINGTON — (AP) — A veteran Afro-Colombian politician who studied in the Soviet Union and fled his homeland after being kidnapped by a paramilitary group has been tapped to become Colombia's first Black ambassador to the United States. But as ambassador for Colombia's first leftist government, he'll need more than deep connections to stabilize a bilateral relationship in what some fear could be a rocky transition. In 2000, Murillo was kidnapped by paramilitary groups and later fled to Washington with his family.

A veteran Afro-Colombian politician who studied in the Soviet Union and fled his country after being kidnapped by a paramilitary group has been named Colombia’s next ambassador to the United States.

The blaze spread after inmates set fire to mattresses during a riot early Monday, Tito Castellanos, director of the national prison system, told local media outlets.

Hundreds were also injured in the collapse.

Tolima health secretary Martha Palacios said in a press conference that 322 people had gone to local public and private hospitals.

BOGOTA, Colombia — (AP) — Part of the wooden stands collapsed during a bullfight in central Colombia Sunday, sending spectators plunging to the ground and killing at least four people and seriously injuring about 30, authorities said. The disaster took place in a stadium in the city of El Espinal in Tolima state during a traditional event called “corraleja” in which members of the public enter the ring to engage the bulls. Videos taken during the bullfight show a three-story section of the stands collapsing as people screamed. “We have activated the hospital network in Tolima,” Tolima Gov. “We lament the terrible tragedy registered in El Espinal, Tolima, during the festivals of San Pedro and San Juan, with the collapse of the stands during a corraleja.

Part of the wooden stands have collapsed during a bullfight in central Colombia, sending spectators plunging to the ground and killing at least four people and injuring 30 seriously

ArrowRight The tragedy took place in El Espinal, a small town located some 95 miles from Bogotá. Otherwise we’d be talking about a much bigger tragedy,” Ortiz told The Washington Post. The bullring is erected for a spectacle that was originated on the Caribbean coast when Colombia was a Spanish colony. Over 500 people died and more than 2,000 were wounded when the makeshift stands there collapsed. Having witnessed the afternoon’s deaths and injuries first hand, Ortiz is predicting, “I think this is the end for corralejas in El Espinal.”GiftOutline Gift Article

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quipped about Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 26 at the G-7 summit.

Colombia President Amazon Rainforest FILE - Local residents navigate the Amazon River near Leticia, Colombia, Sept. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File) (Fernando Vergara)RIO DE JANEIRO — (AP) — Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first elected leftist president, will take office in August with ambitious proposals to halt the record-high rates of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. In 2021, the Colombian Amazon lost 98000 hectares (more than 240,000 acres) of pristine forest to deforestation and another 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres) to fire. Fifteen percent of the Colombian Amazon has already been deforested, according to Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development, or FCDS. In 2020, under the Paris Agreement, Colombian President Ivan Duque's government committed to a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030.

Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first elected leftist president, will take office in August with ambitious proposals to halt the record-high deforestation rates in the Amazon.

Colombia Election Former rebel Gustavo Petro and his running mate Francia Marquez, celebrate before supporters after winning a runoff presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) (Fernando Vergara)BOGOTÁ, Colombia — (AP) — President-elect Gustavo Petro, who has vowed to lift up Colombia’s poor and disenfranchised, has won the support of an influential party of the establishment as he tries to build a majority coalition in Congress. Petro won the second round on Sunday in a blow to political traditionalists who have presided for generations over Colombia, through violence and corruption, as well as economic growth and institutional stability. Details still have to be worked out regarding the Liberal’s Party role in a governing coalition and how it can collaborate with 62-year-old Petro’s camp, he said. A coalition including the Liberals and other allies would bring it closer to a parliamentary majority.

President-elect Gustavo Petro, who has vowed to lift up Colombia’s poor and disenfranchised, has won the support of an influential party of the establishment as he tries to build a majority coalition in Congress.

The Latin American nation has voted out its pro-business political establishment. But to stand a chance of meeting sky-high expectations, president-elect Gustavo Petro needs moderation.

APTOPIX Colombia Election Gustavo Petro, presidential candidate with the Historical Pact coalition, shows his ballot before voting in a presidential runoff in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022. But Gustavo Petro’s election as Colombia’s first leftist president is likely to test the U.S.’ special relationship with a major non-NATO ally like never before. Every year, under special presidential order, Colombia extradites dozens of drug traffickers charged in the U.S. Instead, he would favor expanding crop substitution programs that provide credit, training and land rights to rural farmers. That in part reflects what, until recently, had been the limited prospects for the left in the socially conservative country.

It’s one of the United States’ few enduring alliances in an often-turbulent Latin America, one built around a decades-long partnership combating the nation’s drug cartels.

(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) (Fernando Vergara)BOGOTA, Colombia — (AP) — As Colombia's voters put aside a longtime antipathy to leftists and chose one as their new president, they also carved out another milestone — electing the country's first Black vice president. The politician has faced numerous death threats for her environmental work and has emerged as a powerful spokeswoman for Black Colombians and other marginalized communities. Most politicians in Colombia who have held the presidency have not lived in the way she has,” Sanchez said. Marquez said Sunday that part of her mission as vice president will be to reduce inequality. They said her presence on Petro's ticket also motivated Afro-Colombian voters along the Pacific coast, where Petro won by big margins Sunday even as he barely won the contest by three percentage points.

As Colombia’s voters put aside a longtime antipathy to leftists and chose one as their new president, they also have carved out another milestone — electing the country’s first Black vice president

As Colombia’s voters put aside a longtime antipathy to leftists and chose one as their new president, they also have carved out another milestone — electing the country's first Black vice president.

Leftist Gustavo Petro’s victory in Colombia was the most stunning example yet of how the pandemic has transformed the politics of Latin America.

Colombia Election Gustavo Petro, presidential candidate with the Historical Pact coalition, waves upon his arrival to vote in a presidential runoff in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election. Abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election since 1990. While her election is historic, some see her as a potential obstacle for Petro for her unwillingness to make concessions to traditional parties. Sergio Guzmán, founder of the firm Colombia Risk Analysis, said Petro must show an openness to sharing cabinet positions with other parties.

Colombia for the first time elected a leftist as its next president, but the slim victory is a cue that a large portion of the country rejects the ambitious proposals of Gustavo Petro.

The vote is also resulting in Colombia having a Black woman as vice president for the first time.

The vote is also resulting in Colombia having a Black woman as vice president for the first time.

Supporters of Gustavo Petro joined parties and street celebrations after the former rebel was elected as Colombia's first leftist president. (June 20)

Colombia will be governed by a leftist president for the first time after former rebel Gustavo Petro narrowly defeated a real estate millionaire in a runoff election that underscored people’s disgust with the country’s traditional politicians.

APTOPIX Colombia Election Former rebel Gustavo Petro, left, his wife Veronica Alcocer, back center, and his running mate Francia Marquez, celebrate before supporters after winning a runoff presidential election night in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022. Let them celebrate the first popular victory,” Petro tweeted. “I sincerely hope that this decision is beneficial for everyone.”Colombia also elected its first Black woman to be vice president. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election. Abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election since 1990.

Petro was once a rebel with the now-defunct M-19 guerrilla movement and was granted amnesty after being jailed for his involvement with the group.

Gustavo Petro, a former rebel fighter, will become Colombia's first left-wing leader.

Colombia Election Supporters of presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, with the Historical Pact coalition, celebrate after his candidate won a presidential runoff in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022. Petro’s showing was the latest leftist political victory in Latin America fueled by voters’ desire for change. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election. Abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election since 1990. Hernández, who made his money in real estate, is not affiliated with any major political party and rejected alliances.

Colombia Election Supporters of presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, with the Historical Pact coalition, celebrate at his election night headquarters in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022. About 39 million people were eligible to vote Sunday, but abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election since 1990. He obtained 40% of the votes during last month’s election and Hernández 28%, but the difference quickly narrowed as Hernández began to attract so-called anti-Petrista voters. Petro's showing was the latest leftist political victory in Latin America fueled by voters’ desire for change. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election.

APTOPIX Colombia Election Gustavo Petro, presidential candidate with the Historical Pact coalition, shows his ballot before voting in a presidential runoff in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election. BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Former rebel Gustavo Petro held a slim lead over unpredictable millionaire Rodolfo Hernández in early returns from a presidential runoff that promises to reshape Colombia after a first round election punished the established political class. About 39 million people were eligible to vote Sunday, but abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election since 1990. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election.

APTOPIX Colombia Election Gustavo Petro, presidential candidate with the Historical Pact coalition, shows his ballot before voting in a presidential runoff in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022. Petro had 50.29% of the votes, while Hernández had 47.48% with nearly two-thirds of the votes counted, according to preliminary results released by election authorities. About 39 million people were eligible to vote Sunday, but abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election since 1990. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election. Petro had questioned election authorities during the campaign and said he would analyze after polls closed whether he accepts the results.

Today’s presidential election doesn’t offer voters much of a choice. Whoever wins will need to squarely face deepening economic challenges.

For the first time ever, voters must chose between two anti-establishment, populist presidents who promise to transform the country.

Former rebel Gustavo Petro has narrowly won a runoff election in Colombia over a political outsider millionaire, ushering in a new era of politics by becoming the country’s first leftist president.

Will the historically conservative country select its first leftist president? Or will it take a gamble on a political outsider?

Colombia Election FILES - This combination of photos shows Colombian presidential candidates: Gustavo Petro, left, on June 17, 2018; and Rodolfo Hernandez, on June 2, 2022, in Bogota, Colombia. (AP Photos/Martin Mejia, Fernando Vergara, Files) (Martin Mejia)BOGOTA, Colombia — (AP) — Colombians can count on one thing: The country’s presidential politics will drastically change after Sunday’s runoff election. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election. Petro has promised to make significant adjustments to the economy, including tax reform, and to change how Colombia fights drug cartels and other armed groups. The dispute ended before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which in 2020 declared Colombia responsible for violations of Petro’s political rights.

Colombians can count on one thing: The country’s presidential politics will drastically change after Sunday’s runoff election.

A new government in Colombia is likely to alter the nation's longstanding friendly ties with the United States.

Colombia Elections Rodolfo Hernandez, presidential candidate with the Anti-corruption Governors League, leaves a polling station after voting in presidential elections in Bucaramanga, Colombia, Sunday, May 29, 2022. Hernandez is a self-made millionaire who got rich in real estate after growing up on a small farm. Some in Colombia compare him to former U.S. President Donald Trump and describe him as a right-wing populist. “The success of Hernandez and Petro is a harsh rebuke to the ruling class” said Sergio Guzman, director of the Colombia Risk Analysis consulting firm. As a presidential candidate Hernandez has promised the opposite, saying he will cut government excesses, starting with a plan to turn the nation’s presidential palace into a museum.

Colombia Elections Presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, with the Historical Pact coalition, gives a thumbs up to supporters on election night in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 29, 2022. There has been a series of leftist political victories in Latin America, where voters have been dissatisfied with the economic situation. Mexico elected a leftist president in 2018. He also promises to change how Colombia fights drug cartels that produce around 90% of cocaine currently sold in the U.S. This was the second presidential election held since the government signed in 2016 a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC for its initials in Spanish.

The results represent a major shift in the Latin American country's presidential politics that conservatives and moderates had long dominated.

Colombia Elections Presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, with the Historical Pact coalition, gives a thumbs up to supporters on election night in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 29, 2022. There has been a series of leftist political victories in Latin America as people seek change at a time of dissatisfaction with the economic situation. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election. Mexico elected a leftist president in 2018. This was the second presidential election held since the government signed in 2016 a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC for its initials in Spanish.

Leftist Sen. Gustavo Petro celebrated his first-round lead in Colombia’s presidential election in the way most politicians would: showered with confetti before hundreds of supporters.

Colombia Elections Election workers count ballots at a closed polling station on the day of presidential elections in Medellin, Colombia, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Jaime Saldarriaga) (Jaime Saldarriaga)BOGOTA, Colombia — (AP) — The early vote count in Sunday’s six-way presidential election in Colombia pointed toward a runoff in June, with leftist former rebel Gustavo Petro leading in a ballot held amid growing discontent over increasing inequality and inflation. This was the second presidential election held since the government signed in 2016 a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC for its initials in Spanish. This is the second presidential election in Colombia — Latin America's third most populous country — since the government signed a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC. It is Petro's third attempt to be the South America’s country president.

Colombia Elections Gustavo Petro, presidential candidate with the Historical Pact coalition, leaves a polling station after voting during presidential elections in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 29, 2022. Former rebel Gustavo Petro, who has been leading in polls , could become Colombia's first leftist president. Mexico elected a leftist president in 2018. It is Petro's third attempt to be the South America’s country president. In addition to economic challenges, Colombia’s next president will also have to face a complex security issue and corruption, which is a top concern of voters.

The latest opinion polls suggest Petro, a former rebel, could get 40% of the votes, with a 15-point lead over his closest rival. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File) (Fernando Vergara)BOGOTA, Colombia — (AP) — Colombians emerging from the coronavirus pandemic are voting vote for their next president Sunday, choosing from six candidates who all promise various degrees of change amid rising inequality, inflation, violence and a discontent with the status quo. The ballot includes former rebel Gustavo Petro, who has been leading in polls and could become Colombia's first leftist president. It is Petro's third attempt to be the South America’s country president. In addition to economic challenges, Colombia’s next president will also have to face a complex security issue and corruption, which is a top concern of voters.

In the first round Sunday, voters are choosing among a leftist former guerilla, a brash outsider businessman, and a candidate representing the establishment.

A leftist former rebel and a populist businessman have taken the top two spots among the six candidates in Colombia’s presidential election and are heading to a runoff showdown in June, delivering a blow to the country's political class.

Colombians will pick from six candidates in a presidential ballot being held Sunday amid a generalized feeling the country is heading in the wrong direction.

A one-time rebel fighter has used an emotional anti-establishment discourse and promises to boost state involvement in the economy to garner a commanding lead in polls as Colombia heads into Sunday's presidential election.

Colombian presidential frontrunner Gustavo Petro pledged that he will not nationalize private property if he wins the nation’s presidency this year as critics in the South American country accuse the leftist candidate of wanting to make radical changes to the country’s free market economy.

Colombians have voted for a new congress and also cast ballots in presidential primaries to choose party candidates for the May presidential contest.

Colombia’s Constitutional Court has ruled that women can get abortions until the 24th week of pregnancy without any permits from lawyers or doctors.

Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, who was held as a hostage for six years by Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, says she will be running for her country’s presidency.

A former rebel leader in Colombia who would undo antinarcotics cooperation with the U.S. is looking to capitalize on the biggest antigovernment unrest in decades and ride it to the presidency next year.