Establishment candidate Federico Gutierrez was kicked out of Colombia’s presidential elections after a disputed preliminary vote-count, according to the National Registry.
Gutierrez came in third in the first round elections that was won by opposition Senator Gustavo Petro, who received 40% of the vote after the National Registry counted 98% of the votes.
Liberal demagogue Rodolfo Hernandez received an unexpected 28% of the vote and will take on the progressive frontrunner in a run-off election on June 19, according to the election organizer.
Gutierrez, who was endorsed by all coalition parties, only received 24% of the votes in the preliminary count.
The results will be scrutinized by the National Electoral Council, which found major discrepancies in the National Registry’s results after the March 13 congressional elections.
Preliminary results
Unexpected blow for government coalition
Petro’s first-round victory was consistent with predictions made by pollsters in the months ahead of the elections.
With the exception of one, none of the pollsters predicted that Hernandez would be this successful, however.
The ejection of the candidate who was endorsed by all the government’s coalition parties was as historic as the victory of the opposition leader.
The defeat of Gutierrez is a major blow for President Ivan Duque, whose political allies suffered defeats in both the congressional and the presidential elections.
Establishment candidate admits defeat
Federico Gutierrez greets supporters in his hometown Medellin.
Gutierrez conceded defeat and said he would support Hernandez.
The announcement reduced the chances that Gutierrez’s far-right and conservative supporters reject the first round results.
Duque’s allegedly criminal patron, former President Alvaro Uribe, published fraud allegations throughout the day.
Also one of Petro’s main allies, Senator Armando Benedetti, warned for possible fraud almost immediately after polls opened at 8AM.
The fraud claims are the result of a collapse in public confidence in the National Registry, which after countless irregularities in the congressional elections.