This is how Fico Gutiérrez found out that he had not made it to the second round in Colombia

Between harangues and waving flags, supporters, campaign leaders and political allies of Federico Gutierrez began the reading of the results of the first round of the presidential elections in Colombia. The first three bulletins declared him the winner, which heated up even more among those attending the Colsubsidio Cube, in Bogotá, where the candidate’s campaign gathered to follow the pre-count.

Minutes before the celebration of the first results, Andrés Tobón, national director of electoral affairs for the Gutiérrez campaign, publicly denounced irregularities brought to light by witnesses, including 11 cases of impersonation, 17 of vote buying and 26 of incidence of juries in favor of his main opponent, Gustavo Petro. According to Tobón, the respective complaints were filed with the control agencies and the incidents did not affect compliance with the results at all.

LOOK: Fico Gutiérrez announced who he will support in the second presidential round in Colombia

As of bulletin number four, the cards were turned and the candidate for the Historical Pact. The situation diminished the initial emotion, without subtracting the meticulous interest with which the followers of the former mayor of Medellin followed the percentages and did math calculating the difference with Petro.

Federico Gutiérrez campaign headquarters in Bogotá. (Photo: Mauricio Moreno / EL TIEMPO).

However, the panorama changed from brown to dark in the reading of bulletin number six, which corresponded to 16 percent of the polling stations, at which time promotion was announced Rodolfo Hernandez to second place, increasing the tension much more and confirming one of the greatest fears of the Gutiérrez campaign: that the engineer, who was hot on his heels in the latest polls, would rebound.

This trend continued in bulletin after bulletin, making it less likely that the candidate for the Team for Colombiawhich had the support of the Democratic Center, the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, slipped into the second round and, even more so, was the next president.

The final blow came after bulletin number 14, when the final result was known: Rodolfo Hernández will dispute the second round with Gustavo Petro, leaving out of the contest who was the second in voting intention. Immediately, expressions of astonishment and sadness, including the occasional tear, were drawn on the faces of the attendees, some still wearing Fico President propaganda on caps and T-shirts.

Supporters of Federico Gutiérrez, at the candidate’s campaign headquarters, listen to the results of the Registrar’s Office on May 29, 2022. (Photo: Mauricio Moreno / EL TIEMPO).

Around seven at night, almost two hours after it was decided who would go to the second round, Federico arrived at the meeting place to deliver his speech, in which he announced his support for Rodolfo Hernández.

Vehemently, and to the cheers and applause of his supporters, the former presidential candidate said that the candidate of the Historical Pact “does not suit Colombia and is a danger to democracy”which is why he supported the former mayor of Bucaramanga.

Among the attendees it was heard “Now we have to support Rodolfo”, “Everyone except Petro”, premises that Federico reaffirmed with his words, which were supported with great emotion.

Gutiérrez and his vice-presidential formula, Rodrigo Lara, who accompanied him during the speech, emphasized that they have not communicated with Rodolfo Hernández and do not expect to be part of his government, but that their position is based on the common purpose of “taking care of democracy, not being indifferent and unite the country”.

Once he turned off the microphone, the former presidential candidate left the place followed by his wife, Margarita Gómez, without answering questions from the media, but greeting and thanking everyone present.

Source: Elcomercio