In a turn that has left pollsters scrambling and diplomats quietly uncorking the celebratory champagne, Colombia has elected a political outsider backed by none other than Donald Trump. The UK Foreign Office, in a carefully worded statement, has welcomed what it calls a 'pro-Western shift' in the Andean nation. But what does this mean for the people on the streets of Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín, and for the broader cultural currents of a region so often caught between populism and tradition?
For the past decade, Colombia has been a fascinating social laboratory: a country emerging from a brutal conflict, navigating the peace process, and grappling with the rise of a new middle class. The election of this new president, a businessman with little political experience, signals a hunger for change. But it is a specific kind of change: one that looks northward, to the United States, rather than to the old European models or the populist left seen in Venezuela and Bolivia. This is a cultural shift as much as a political one.
On the streets, the reaction is mixed but telling. In the upscale neighbourhoods of Bogotá, there is a sense of relief. 'Finally, someone who understands business,' a coffee shop owner told me, his espresso machine hissing in the background. 'The old politicians, they have been talking for years. Nothing happens. This man, he makes things happen.' There is an aspirational quality to this support: a belief that hard work and American-style capitalism can lift all boats. It is a dream that feels familiar to anyone who has watched the rise of reformist outsiders in other nations.
But in the poorer districts, the mood is more wary. 'I voted for peace,' a street vendor said, her face etched with the lines of years of hardship. 'This new man, he speaks English, he has rich friends. What does he know about my life?' The election reveals a deep class divide, not just in wealth but in worldview. The urban, educated middle class sees globalisation and close ties with the West as a path to prosperity. The working class, often more rural, worries about being left behind, about the erosion of local traditions and the social safety net. This is the human cost of any major political realignment: the fear of the forgotten.
The UK Foreign Office's welcome is instructive. It signals a realignment of British foreign policy in Latin America, away from the cautious engagement of the past decade and towards a more assertive pro-Western stance. This is a strategic win for London, but it carries risks. By embracing a president with ties to Trump, the UK is betting on a certain vision of global order: one where nationalism and transatlantic alliances coexist. The question is how this will play out in practice, especially on issues like trade, immigration, and the environment.
What matters most is the cultural shift: Colombia is choosing a new identity. It is choosing to look away from the internal conflicts that have defined it for generations and towards a future of open markets and Western alliances. This is not without its own conflicts. The peace process with FARC rebels, for instance, may face new hurdles if the new president takes a harder line. The social fabric of a nation healing from violence is delicate, and a pro-business, tough-on-crime approach could either strengthen it or tear it anew.
For the rest of the world, this election is a bellwether. It suggests that the appeal of the political outsider, the anti-establishment figure, is not confined to the United States or Europe. It is a global phenomenon, rooted in a deep dissatisfaction with the status quo. In Colombia, this dissatisfaction has taken a pro-Western turn. In other places, it has gone elsewhere. The social psychology here is clear: people want change, and they will vote for the person who promises it, regardless of traditional allegiances.
As the champagne flutes clink in the Foreign Office, the real work begins. The new president must deliver on his promises, or the streets will tell a different story. For now, the compass of Colombia points west. The question is whether it will stay that way, or whether the winds of history will blow it elsewhere.
