Former governor Sergio Fajardo, former peace negotiator Humberto de la Calle and Senator Ivan Duque are the favorites of Colombia’s business community in the 2018 presidential race.
Pollster Datexco concluded this after a poll held among 325 business leaders who attended a recent summit of the ANDI, Colombia’s business association.
The favorites of Colombia’s business community
- Sergio Fajardo (19.1%)
- Humberto de la Calle (16%)
- Ivan Duque (13.5%)
Sergio Fajardo (19.1%)
The businessmen’s favorite is Sergio Fajardo, who announced his presidency earlier this year. The former Medellin mayor and governor of Antioquia initially tried to run with anti-corruption candidates Claudia Lopez (Green Party) and Jorge Robledo (Democratic Pole).
However, after a close political ally of him was arrested for ties to Medellin crime syndicate Oficina de Envigado, Fajardo announced to run independently.
Former Medellin mayor announces run for Colombia’s 2018 presidency without anti-corruption allies
Humberto de la Calle (16%)
Before leading successful peace talks with Colombia’s largest rebel group FARC between 2012 and 2016, Humberto de la Calle had been vice-president under controversial former President Ernesto Samper between 1994 and 1997.
According to De la Calle, his priorities as president would be to make sure the successful continuation of an ongoing peace process and increased success in combating corruption.
Colombia’s former peace negotiator announces presidential run
Ivan Duque (13.5%)
Senator Ivan Duque is the most popular of candidates loyal to Colombia’s former President Alvaro Uribe, under pressure because of mounting accusations of war crimes.
While not officially the candidate Uribe’s hard-right Democratic Center party, Duque has been tipped as the most popular of opposition candidates in the upcoming primaries of the party.
Other candidates
No other (presumed) candidate was able to receive more than 10% of the business community’s votes.
- German Vargas (9.5%)
- Marta Lucia Ramirez (7.4%)
- Luis Alfredo Ramos (4.6%)
- Claudia Lopez (3.2%)
- Rafael Nieto (2.2%)
- Juan Carlos Pinzon (1.8%)
- Gustavo Petro (1.5%)
- Jorge Enrique Robledo (1.2%)
- Carlos Holmes Trujillo (0.9%)
- Clara Lopez (0.6%)
- Maria del Rosario (0.6%)
- Juan Manuel Galan (0.3%)
- Paloma Valencia (0.3%)
- Alejandro Ordoñez (0.3%)
- Antonio Navarro (0%)
- Piedad Cordoba (0%)