Fico Gutiérrez consolidates as the alternative of the right in Colombia

Federico Gutiérrez, presidential candidate for the right-wing alliance, Team for Colombia, shows his vote this Sunday, in Medellín, Colombia. Luis Eduardo Noriega A. (EFE)

Federico Gutiérrez will be the main right-wing candidate in Colombia, after winning this Sunday the referendum of the Equipo por Colombia coalition, the alliance that brought together the most conservative sector.

With almost 80% of polling stations counted, the former mayor of Medellín prevailed with 54% against Alejandro Char's 16.8% and David Barguil's 15.8%, his two closest rivals.

Fico Gutiérrez

Medellín, 47 years old) came to the race through signatures, but his name today is consolidated as the right-wing alternative, where he will have to seduce the electorate of the Democratic Center (CD), the party of former president Álvaro Uribe.

And he has everything to get it.

The bad moment that the CD is going through, the Uribista movement, with Óscar Iván Zuluga as a candidate and without new leadership, places it as the ace up Uribe's sleeve, who since he left the presidency in 2010 has been the main voter.

Four years ago, Iván Duque won, in good part, for having been Uribe's choice.

the victory of

Fico is not surprising, especially since his discourse of "order" and "security" has already demonstrated its effectiveness in the most conservative sector of the country and its region, Antioquia, the cradle of Uribeism.

Thus he won the mayor's office of Medellín, whose administration ended with very high approval ratings.

The image of him, of a "street" man, uncomplicated and close to the people has also added points to be the man with whom the rest of the right must negotiate.

Federico Gutiérrez has not needed a photo with former President Álvaro Uribe to conquer the right accustomed to voting "for whoever Uribe says."

He has known how to read the voters of Uribismo.

“Petro is a risk and he is a danger to democracy.

His speech is one of hate and class struggle.

I represent the complete opposite of what he represents”, he said in an interview with EL PAÍS.

One of his main rivals in the consultation on the right, Char, admitted his defeat and announced that he will support him.

So did the former mayor of Bogotá, Enrique Peñalosa, who was also seeking the right-wing candidacy.

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