Gustavo Petro speaks at March 13 election rally -- image via Twitter
In what is being described as an "historic breakthrough" for the left, the Pacto Histórico por Colombia (PHxC) won the most votes in the congressional elections and took a significant block of seats in both houses of Colombia's Congress overall on Sunday, March 13. The PHxC is a coalition of leftist parties formed in 2021. In the party's presidential primary vote leftist candidate Gustavo Petro won a resounding victory with over 80% of the vote.
Petro is considered the front runner in the upcoming May presidential elections.
Depending on final counts the party won 16-17 seats in the country's Senate and between 25-27 seats in its Congress of Representatives. Right wing parties lost seats.
When the results came in Petro, speaking at a jubilant election night rally, told the crowd: “This is the best result for progressives in the history of Colombia. We’re on the verge of winning the presidency of Colombia in the first round.”
While this vote is seen as representing a major left shift in Colombian politics, it still leaves the party far short of a majority in either body. Regardless, it clearly indicates momentum for Petro going forward.