Green Party candidate Enrique Peñalosa asked the Colombian Conservative Party to support his bid to become mayor of Bogota Thursday.
Peñalosa, who has already served as mayor of Bogota, met with members of the Conservative Party to request their endorsement. The former mayor reminded Conservative Party leaders that both his party and the conservatives currently serve on President Juan Manuel Santos‘ governing coalition.
The conservatives are expected to respond to Peñalosa’s request on Monday. It is believed that they will either support Peñalosa or endorse a candidate from within their own party.
Ex-President Alvaro Uribe has endorsed Peñalosa.
Peñalosa and Socialist Party candidate Gustavo Petro have emerged as the front-runners for the Bogota mayoral race. Recent polls have shown that Peñalosa is leading Petro by nearly 10 points.