Colombians in US vote for right-wing presidential candidate and get Trump’s ‘reflection’ instead.
As former US President Donald Trump has promised, Rodolfo Hernández said he is such a wealthy businessman that if he is elected president he can afford not to receive his government salary.
Like Trump, Hernández has used social media to surprise political pundits with his influence. That BBC and Reuters acknowledged his self-proclaimed title of “King of TikTok.”
The 77-year-old ex-Bucaramanga mayor is rude and unpredictable. Because of his similarities to the 45th US President, some observers refer to him as “Trump’s reflection in Colombia.”
“I really believe that he will be the next President of Colombia. We need a capitalist. Everyone in Miami knows what happens when a communist is in power. We know better,” said M. Natalia Suarez, an undocumented Colombian from Cali, in Spanish.
Only about 39.6% of Colombian voters registered in the United States took part in Sunday’s presidential election – leading to an unexpected June 19 runoff.
Officially show records About 64.4% of Colombian voters in the US voted for Federico “Fico” Gutierrez, the right-wing 47-year-old former mayor of Medellin. records show About 16% voted for Senator Gustavo Petro, the left-leaning 62-year-old former mayor of the Colombian capital Bogotá.
“I worked, so I couldn’t vote. This weekend is tip-rich for us, but I’ll try to vote to make sure this ‘guerrilla’ doesn’t ruin our country,” said Suarez. “I dream of going back.”
In Colombia, the reality was different. The presidential election narrowed down to two opposites: Hernández, an engineer and entrepreneur, and Petro, an economist and former guerrilla fighter.
Gutierrez, a harsh critic of Petro, was among half a dozen other candidates who fell behind. By Monday afternoon, the candidates had yet to publicly announce who they would support next.
Hernández and Petro both selected graduates of the private, non-profit University of Santiago de Cali as their vice presidential candidates.
Petro chose Francia Márquez, a lawyer and 2018 Goldman Environmental Award Winner. The Afro-Colombian former housekeeper became known for her activism against illegal mining.
At the last minute, Hernández selected Marelen Castillo Torres, an academic with a PhD in education Nova Southeastern University in South Florida.
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/05/30/colombians-in-us-vote-for-right-wing-losing-candidate-get-reflection-of-trump-instead/ Colombians in US vote for right-wing presidential candidate and get Trump’s ‘reflection’ instead.