Colombia's ruling left loses elections in major cities

BOGOTA

Left-wing candidates lost in a slew of local elections in Colombia on Sunday, the electoral authority reported, in what analysts described as a rebuke to the government of President Gustavo Petro.

With almost 55 percent turnout, the elections in the cities of Bogota, Medellin, Cali and Barranquilla were seen as a pushback against Petro's administration, analysts told AFP.

Almost 39 million people were eligible to elect governors, deputies, mayors, councilmen and other local authorities for the 2024-2027 period.

Carlos Fernando Galan (Nuevo Liberalismo), the son of former presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan, won the mayor's race in Bogota and will replace the center-left Claudia Lopez, of Green Party, on Jan. 1.

The mayoralty of Medellin went to right-wing candidate Federico Gutierrez, while in Cali center-right businessman Alejandro Eder was victorious. Barranquilla was won by former center-right mayor Alejandro Char.

The elections are considered "an assessment of the president's administration," Mauricio Velasquez, professor at the School of Government at the Universidad de los Andes, told AFP.

Petro, who took power last year as the country's first leftist president, has seen "wear and tear in terms of his image," Velasquez said.

Corruption scandals surrounding his family, difficulties in reaching a peace agreement with armed groups, and a surge in violence blamed on guerrilla fighters and drug traffickers all took their toll on the government, analysts agreed.

Colombia's rights ombudsman had registered 377 election-related attacks committed against political offices, candidates, voters and other victims in the year to September.