Two erratic presidential candidates put Colombia at risk

incumbents and everything they stand for is all the rage in Latin America. Peru did it in June last year. Chile did it in December. is likely to do it in October. May 29th was Colombia’s turn, when voters plumped for the two presidential candidates who most clearly represent change. , pictured left, is a former guerrilla who got more than 40% of votes (around 8.5m). Rodolfo Hernández, pictured right, is a millionaire who was little-known a few months ago but has fired up devotees with his rants on TikTok. He won 28%. The .Colombia has long been something of an anomaly in Latin America, a continent where many voters still have a soft spot for . With the exception of a brief period of strongman rule under Álvaro Uribe Velez, who was president from 2002 to 2010, its politics tend to be moderate. For decades, left-wing extremism has been unpopular, as Colombians have related it with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (), a Marxist guerrilla group. Governments have favoured strong ties with America. Investors flocked to Colombia.