Journalist: Colombia’s President Was Reelected Because He Campaigned on Peace · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Image by Gobierno Federal on Flickr. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Journalist Natalia Bonilla writes on Ser Cosmopolita (Being Cosmopolitan) about the results of the run-off in Colombia's presidential election on Sunday, June 15. For her, the peace discourse was fundamental for the reelection of president Juan Manuel Santos:
“Paz”, la mejor palabra en su publicidad. Su repetición durante la campaña eleccionaria fue constante y por una razón: es tiempo de vivirla. El conflicto armado “pasó de moda”. Medio siglo de sufrimiento, miedo, heridas, frustración, fue suficiente. El pueblo, por un pequeño margen y con poca participación de la esperada, optó por Santos sobre su rival Oscar Zuluaga, conocido por su narrativa bélica y radical.
“Peace”, the best word in his advertising. It was constantly repeated during the campaign and for one reason: it's time to live it. The armed conflict is “out of style”. Half a century of suffering, fear, wounds, frustration was enough. The people, with a narrow margin and less turnout than excepted, chose Santos over his contender Oscar Zuluaga, known for his warlike radical speech.
At the same time, she notes that many people chose him not because they consider him the best, but because of his promise of peace:
Santos ha recibido una segunda oportunidad. No porque sea necesariamente el mejor candidato. No porque los pasados cuatro años fueron “increíbles” en comparación con otras administraciones. No. Recibió una segunda oportunidad porque el pueblo está harto de la cantaleta. Y basado en el lento proceso de negociaciones que ha llevado a cabo su presidente desde el 2011, ha querido arriesgarse.
Santos has gotten a second chance. Not necessarily because he is the best candidate. Not because the last four years have been “incredible” compared to other administrations. No. He just got a second chance because people are fed up with the same old story. And based on the slow negotiation process underway since 2011, they've wanted to take a risk.
Follow Bonilla on Twitter.