The shock victory of Rodrigo Vargas, a populist outsider endorsed by former US President Donald Trump, in Colombia's presidential election has sent tremors across the Western Hemisphere. Vargas, a former businessman with no political experience, swept to power on a wave of anti-establishment anger, promising to tear up trade deals, crack down on crime, and realign Colombia's foreign policy away from Washington. But for working families in Bogotá and Medellín, the question is how this will affect their daily lives.
Already, the peso has plunged, and food prices are expected to rise. Union leaders, already uneasy about Vargas's pro-business stance, fear an assault on workers' rights. He talks about putting Colombia first, but will that mean cheaper bread or more precarious jobs?"
asked María Torres, a factory worker in Bogotá. The election is a stark reminder that the 'Real Economy' is about more than geopolitics: it is about the price of a loaf of bread and the security of a pay packet. Vargas's win also raises questions about US influence in a region grappling with inequality and migration.
His campaign, fuelled by social media and promises to 'drain the swamp', mirrors the playbook of other right-wing populists. For the North of England, where textile mills once relied on Colombian cotton, this is a distant but significant tremor.
