Former Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, won the second round of presidential elections in a landslide victory on Sunday. Santos received 69 percent of the vote, while his opponent Antanas Mockus, who is the former mayor of Colombia’s capital Bogota, received only 28 percent of the votes.
Santos was supported by popular former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who is known for having cracked down on leftist rebels and drug crime in the country during his eight-year term.
In his victory speech, Santos said that peace talks with rebel groups were ruled out as long as they continued to engage in drug trafficking and kidnapping, according to the Associated Press.
Colombia has for decades been terrorized by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a leftist Marxist group.
“Time is up for the FARC,” said Santos.
The new president has also promised to reduce unemployment and fight poverty in a nation notorious for income inequality, where more than 2 of every 5 of its 44 million people live on less than $2 a day, and more than 2 million have been displaced by violence.
Santos was supported by popular former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who is known for having cracked down on leftist rebels and drug crime in the country during his eight-year term.
In his victory speech, Santos said that peace talks with rebel groups were ruled out as long as they continued to engage in drug trafficking and kidnapping, according to the Associated Press.
Colombia has for decades been terrorized by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a leftist Marxist group.
“Time is up for the FARC,” said Santos.
The new president has also promised to reduce unemployment and fight poverty in a nation notorious for income inequality, where more than 2 of every 5 of its 44 million people live on less than $2 a day, and more than 2 million have been displaced by violence.
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