Colombia is headed for a deeply polarized presidential election amid renewed armed conflict and rising violence ahead of elections.
The election campaign ahead of the first round of voting on May 31 has become the deadliest in Colombia in decades, including the assassination of a leading presidential candidate and a series of bomb attacks in the south of the country.
On Tuesday, the convoy of ruling party senator Alexander Lopez was fired upon on a highway in the country’s conflict-torn south-western region.
“They just tried to kidnap the senator,” President Gustavo Petro said, blaming drug-trafficking armed groups.
What was the FARC guerrilla movement?
For decades, Colombia has been at war with the Former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrilla movement. In 2016, a historic peace agreement was signed under which the FARC agreed to completely disarm.
However, dissident branches of the former guerrilla group are still active and are being blamed for the latest violence targeting former guerrillas and social leaders.
On Wednesday, Colombia’s Central General Staff, the largest dissident branch of the FARC, and National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels announced separate ceasefires ahead of this month’s elections.
What are the candidates saying?
The deteriorating situation has become a major issue in the major campaign, with the major candidates offering starkly different approaches.
Leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda has promised to continue peace talks with armed groups, following the policy of ally President Gustavo Petro, whose term ends in August.
Conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella has called for just the opposite, a military attack.
Conservative candidate Paloma Valencia, the poll frontrunner, called for immediate action against last month’s spate of violence, saying, “We demand immediate action, full support for our armed forces and police, and concrete results.”
The Invemar survey showed Cepeda leading with 44.3% support, ahead of de la Esprilla at 21.5% and Valencia at 19.8%.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of valid ballots a runoff vote is scheduled for June 21.
Edited by: Zack Crellin