Rock star Juanes says he is “puzzled” by the presidential elections in his home country Colombia, in which Green candidate Antanas Mockus lost unexpectedly heavily.
Juanes talked to Colombian radio station Caracol from South Africa, where he is performing at the opening of the soccer World Cup.
The singer, who openly supports the candidacy of Antanas Mockus, said he was “puzzled” by the first round election results which, instead of the predicted neck-and-neck race between Mockus and government candidate Juan Manuel Santos, showed a huge advantage for Santos, who received 46.56% of the votes, while Mockus lagged behind with 21.49%.
“I am puzzled, like many Colombians. In my home, for example, I talk to my mother, my sister and my brothers and each one has his own candidate, but we have not felt like fighting over the differences. We’re all Colombians and each of us is free to vote for whoever they want to vote for,” the singer said.
Despite admitting he was taken aback by the first round results, Juanes said that “if this is what Colombia wants that’s great and I celebrate it.”
Colombia will return to the polls on Sunday June 20, to chose in a runoff round who will succeed current President Alvaro Uribe.