In a development that would have made Machiavelli smirk and Burke nod approvingly, Colombia’s leftist candidate has conceded defeat. This is not merely a local electoral footnote. It is a signal that the intellectual rot of populism, which has eaten through so many Western democracies, may yet meet its match in the Andean hills.
The candidate, a standard-bearer for the kind of snake-oil socialism that has ruined Venezuela and impoverished Argentina, was rejected by a populace that still remembers what a functioning economy looks like. Colombians, scarred by decades of cartel violence and guerrilla warfare, have not succumbed to the seductive simplicity of blaming all ills on neoliberal bogeymen. They looked at the abyss of Chavismo and decided they prefer the devil they know.
This is a victory for reality over rhetoric. For nuance over slogan. For the dull, unglamorous work of governance over the fiery tirades of demagogues.
And yet, the global commentariat will likely misread this. They will call it a victory for the ‘centre’, or for ‘moderation’. But let us be clear: this is a victory for those who still believe that the state’s primary duty is to maintain order and prosperity, not to conduct grand experiments in social reengineering.
The leftist candidate, like his counterparts in Bolivia, Mexico, and elsewhere, promised a revolution. But the Colombian people, wise from experience, recognise that revolutions consume their children. So they voted for the plodding, imperfect status quo.
This is not inspiring. It is not romantic. But it is the stuff of durable democracies.
The fall of this populist candidate is a reminder that history is not inevitable. That ideology, no matter how passionately felt, can be defeated by a populace that still values freedom, property, and the rule of law. One hopes this lesson travels north, to countries where populism is still a rising tide.
But I am not optimistic. The allure of simple answers is powerful. Still, for now, Colombia has shown that the light of reason can flicker even in the darkest of corridors.
