Colombia’s presidential runoff is a stark choice. Gustavo Petro, a former M-19 guerrilla and now leftist senator, squares off against Rodolfo Hernández, a populist businessman who has called Donald Trump a “friend.” The contest has global implications: Petro’s platform of nationalising oil and halting new exploration worries foreign investors.
Hernández, a former mayor of Bucaramanga, has stirred controversy with misogynistic comments and ties to Trump’s circle. Meanwhile, the UK government has quietly reaffirmed its commitment to a free trade agreement with Colombia, regardless of who wins. Sources confirm that British officials are nervous about Petro’s policies but believe the trade deal, signed in 2019, is too important to jeopardise.
The agreement covers goods, services, and investment, and the UK sees Colombia as a gateway to Latin America. But if Petro wins, his pledge to renegotiate mining and energy contracts could hit British companies like BP and Glencore. Hernández, though erratic, is seen as more business-friendly.
The UK’s hasty reaffirmation smacks of panic: they want stability, but Colombia’s election promises neither. Uncovered documents from the British Embassy in Bogotá show the government has been lobbying Colombian officials to protect British interests. The race is too close to call, and the outcome could reshape Colombia’s relationship with the West.
