The electoral results in the second round of our neighbour to the north, Colombia, constitute a resounding victory for our fraternal people and, at the same time, a real slap in the face to the bourgeoisie and the extreme right. Throughout the electoral campaign, they waged a dirty and reactionary campaign, in essence an anti-communist one, so that the victory of the Historic Pact and Gustavo Petro becomes more relevant for the entire continent.  

In fact, on the night of Sunday, June 19, one learned of the resounding victory of Gustavo Petro, who won 50.5% of the votes, (11,281,013 votes), against 47.31% (10,580,412 votes) of his contender. These results meant the victory of Petro against the dirty and crude anti-communist campaign of the entire right and Colombian and continental reaction.  

Let us remember that throughout the electoral campaign, there was no lack of insults against Petro, and, above all, the attempt to disqualify him for being a former guerrilla. In response to this, the peoples of Colombia, the peasants, workers, unemployed, young students, housewives, among others, decided to support those who constitute a real hope for change, for his government will be democratic, popular and progressive.  

We must emphasize that, together with Petro, there will be the Afro-Colombian social leader, Francia Márquez, as Vice President, who will have on their shoulders the enormous responsibility of moving their people forward to fulfill their electoral promises. In that context, they will certainly confront the onslaught that the Colombian right will prepare to do against the government that will be established in the coming weeks.  

Once the results were known, Gustavo Petro said in an exciting speech: "Here what is coming is a true change, a real change. We commit ourselves to existence, to life itself; we are not going to betray the electorate that has shouted to the country, shouted precisely to history itself that, as of today, Colombia will change, Colombia will be different." The Latin American peoples are taking Petro at his word, we will be watchful that his government will fulfill its commitment, that it will lead the change for the building of the new Colombia. The price paid by the workers, the peasants, the young fighters who have spilled their blood is already too high. The oligarchies and imperialism tried to silence the courageous voice of a country that has never stopped fighting in the search for new horizons.  

It is important to note that, in the runoff, 58% of the population entitled to vote went to the polls and, together with the triumph of Petro, this is a reliable example of the yearning for change and the fatigue with demagoguery, deception and repression that for decades were applied by the oligarchic and right-wing governments, faithful to the designs of imperialism.  

These past days are wise lessons that the peoples of Colombia must now assimilate; their heroic struggles such as those of the Strike of 2021, and the daily resistance, must be the incentive and the engine that drives them to defend what they have won, to face the fury of the losing bourgeoisie. We sense from now on that they will come out ahead.  

We salute this important victory, which is part of the historic struggle of the Colombian peoples.