Just over a year ago, no one would have thought Colombia could provide an example of a leftist governing model. The nation has long been the bastion of what supporters see as liberal-democratic rule in South America — falling to neither left-wing revolution nor the bloody right-wing dictatorships experienced by its neighbors. Colombia’s close relations with powerful Western nations have been equally stable, with the latter praising the country as a healthy example of democracy in the region.

President Gustavo Petro, a left-wing former guerrilla fighter, and his mélange of an alliance, known as the Pacto Histórico, ascended to power in August last year, closing the curtain on this tradition. The new political movement comprises a broad spectrum of politicians and parties — many sharing the values of previous governments, which makes the long-term viability of the coalition difficult to predict. Tempting as it may be to be pessimistic about a reformist project trying to resolve the country’s deep-rooted problems and historical conflicts, the evidence has thus far mostly proven critics — of all political persuasions — wrong.

Not only has the Petro administration made progress on the most pressing national issues, including tackling high poverty levels, addressing the long-standing violent conflict with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other armed groups, and limiting the narcotics trade — it’s also begun to take on capitalism’s environmental crises on the international stage.