New problems, old fears ahead of Colombia's presidential election

[Judi Lynn]

By ESTHER CASTILLEJO AICHA EL HAMMAR
May 26, 2018, 11:03 AM ET

Colombians are heading to the polls to elect a new president Sunday, and entrenched polarization on how to handle the country's fragile peace process and growing refugee crisis is front and center.

Six candidates are jockeying to become the newest resident in the presidential palace, as current President Juan Manuel Santos is term-limited from running for office. A former defense minister who's been president since 2010, Santos shepherded a peace process that gave the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia -- better known as FARC for its initials in Spanish -- a shot at a place in mainstream politics, in theory ending a five-decade-long war between the guerrilla group and the Colombian people.

But the disparate campaigns and opposite takes on issues speak to a growing division within Colombian society on how big of a role they want the FARC to have in government, and how they want the government to deal with the growing economic and social problems, including an influx of Venezuelan refugees fleeing poverty and hunger across the border.

Sunday's vote will define the country's politics for years to come -- like in the United States, the presidential term in Colombia is four years, with the possibility of serving two terms. And changes could be dramatic -- polarization between right- and left-wing politicians has only increased after the peace agreement was signed.

More:
https://abcnews.go.com/International/problems-fears-ahead-colombias-presidential-election/story?id=55443959