Colombia heads to the polls for the second round of voting in the presidential elections on June 17, with right-wing Ivan Duque and progressive Gustavo Petro separated by a few percentage points.
Education, health, unemployment and inequality rank higher in concern among Colombian voters than the implementation of the peace accords with the FARC.
The peace agreements with the FARC and a possible agreement with the ELN are the major issues nonetheless, with right-wing parties attempting to capitalize on misinformation and discontent over government inefficiency, poor quality of services, inequality and corruption.
While general crime statistics are down in the country, violence against social leaders has risen, with hundreds killed since the peace agreement was signed.
Corruption also ranks high among concerns, with current President Juan Manuel Santos caught up in the Panama Leaks and Odebrecht scandals.
Colombia: Candidates Secure Final Endorsements
The two candidates have also received support from unions and business sectors. READ MORE
Colombia: Testimony Links Uribe Family to Paramilitary Group
Three former workers of the Uribe-owned La Carolina ranch testified that it served as the "base of operations" for a paramilitary group. READ MORE
Petro Warns Colombians: 'Blank Vote Hands Victory to Duque'
“If an important percentage of the population votes blank, Duque wins, and we head to a dictatorship,” Gustavo Petro has warned. READ MORE
Colombia's Petro Has New Campaign Logo: Superhero Worker Bee
Petro's supporters create a new logo for their candidate after former president Alvaro Uribe accuses him of staging a bee attack on a Duque rally. READ MORE
Colombia: ELN Announces Unilateral Ceasefire During Elections
Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), has announced a unilateral five-day truce. READ MORE
Colombia: Petro Narrows Duque's Poll Lead, Gains Endorsements
The latest poll shows Gustavo Petro is only six percentage points below conservative Ivan Duque. READ MORE
Colombia: Petro Wins Endorsement of Indigenous Group
Gustavo Petro received the support of former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and world renowned economist Thomas Piketty. READ MORE
The Andean nation has a troubled past when it comes to political violence and election fraud.
Peace in Colombia: What If Ivan Duque Is Elected President?
Ivan Duque has not has not even whispered the words 'land reform' as part of his government plan to help solve one of Colombia's most pressing problems. READ MORE
Is Colombia Doomed To Remain A Right-Wing Country?
Historic left-wing violence in Colombia impacts the current political landscape in many ways. Here are a few to consider ahead of Sunday's elections. READ MORE
Colombia's Elections: Let's Talk About Paramilitarism
There is a common phrase that reflects popular wisdom: tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are. READ MORE
Colombia: Dissidence, Peace And The Presidential Elections
To say that the future of peace is being voted for on June 17 is not political alarmism or opportunism, writes Victor de Currea-Lugo. READ MORE
Q&A: The Risk of Violence and Fraud in Colombia's Elections
teleSUR speaks with Jose Antonio Figueroa, a research professor at the Central University of Ecuador and PhD in Latin American Cultural Studies from Georgetown University, about the vote and the risk of electoral fraud. READ MORE
Poll Shows Plenty Distrust in Colombian Politics
A study by the Latin American Geopolitical Strategic Center, or Celag, reveals that the majority of people in Colombia distrust their politicians in the lead up to the presidential election in May. READ MORE
Colombia Registers 82,998 Disappearances In 59 Years
According to the Memory and Conflict Observatory of the National Center for Historical Memory, 82,998 people were forcibly disappeared in Colombia between 1958 and November 2017. READ MORE