BOGOTA (AA) – People in the South American country Colombia went to the polls to determine the president who will rule the country for 4 years. In Colombia, whose population exceeds 53 million, more than 40 million voters went to the polls as of 08:00 local time to determine the new president who will serve in the 2026-2030 period. Voters started voting in 13 thousand 489 voting centers established across the country.
Voting will continue until 16:00 local time. Although 14 candidates competed in the first round, the election competition is expected to be between the left-wing candidate of the ruling party Ivan Cepeda, the far-right Abelardo de la Espriella and the centre-right candidate Paloma Valencia, supported by former President Alvaro Uribe. President Gustavo Petro cast his vote at the Congress building in the capital Bogota and called on all citizens to vote freely.
It was reported that more than 246 thousand soldiers and police were assigned across the country to ensure election security. According to data from the National Electoral Council (CNE), more than 1,200 international observers came to Colombia to monitor the elections. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round, he will be elected president. Otherwise, the election will go to the second round on Sunday, June 21.
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