Marta Lucia Ramirez, who came third in Colombia’s presidential election on Sunday, threw her support behind right-wing contender Oscar Ivan Zuluaga for next month’s run-off, even while most lawmakers from her party will back Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.
Ramirez, who is broadly aligned with Zuluaga and his skepticism of peace talks with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, garnered 15.5 percent of the vote. Zuluaga won 29.3 percent and Santos came in second with 25.7 percent.
Even though Ramirez and 11 lawmakers from the Conservative Party are set to vote in line with Zuluaga, the remaining 47 said they will back Santos, who is seeking re-election.
Photo: Reuters
Santos started peace talks with FARC in an effort to end a 50-year-old war.
The election has become a referendum on the talks. Zuluaga has said he would institute tough new negotiating conditions and terminate the talks if the FARC failed to meet new requirements, which the rebel group has already said it would reject, essentially guaranteeing an end to the negotiations.
Though Ramirez said the party’s base was behind her, lawmakers have historically had huge influence over voting tendencies in their districts.
“I’m hugely grateful for this backing, which will be definitive. We will triumph on June 15,” Santos said after meeting with the Conservative Party lawmakers.
Green Alliance candidate Enrique Penalosa, who won 8.3 percent of the vote, said late on Wednesday that he would not declare support for a candidate and would let his supporters decide for themselves who to back.
The Democratic Pole’s Clara Lopez, who came in just behind Ramirez with 15.2 percent, has yet to officially say who she will back, but has emphasized her support for the peace talks.
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