In May 2021, Colombia once again made international headlines, witnessing one of the largest mass mobilizations in decades. Millions of Colombians took to the streets to protest against the conservative government of President Iván Duque, neoliberal policies, environmental destruction, police brutality, and rampant corruption. The government’s repression left 44 people dead and over 3,000 wounded. Close to 1,500 protesters were arbitrarily detained.

Six months later, President Duque is still holding on to power. The systematic killings of leftists, student activists, and community leaders, all of whom played a pivotal role in the popular uprising, continues unabated. However, Colombia is also currently bracing itself for a hotly anticipated presidential election in May and June of next year, where Gustavo Petro, a social democratic populist and former guerrilla fighter, is leading in the polls. Colombia has reached a crossroads.

Making matters more interesting, Colombia’s far-right bloc spearheaded by Álvaro Uribe, president of Colombia from 2002 to 2010, is in the midst of a profound crisis. With close ties to drug trafficking, paramilitary death squads, and the military, the Uribe camp has been the driving force of Colombian politics over the past two decades. The protests and Petro’s popularity, however, are clear signs that Uribe’s hegemonic leadership and political clout are slipping.