So much for the status quo. Nine days from now, Colombians will pick their next president in a second-round vote. Either candidate would break the country’s leadership mold, whether it’s leftist Gustavo Petro or political outsider Rodolfo Hernández. As our poll tracker shows, the vote could go either way.

And while conservatives have come out to back Hernández, the outspoken candidate’s positions on matters such as drug policy and abortion make him hard to place on the political spectrum. Read a breakdown of where Petro and Hernández stand on key issues, such as economic policy, corruption, and foreign relations. 

Whatever the election’s outcome, neither contender has a reputation for being a good boss, and fears exist that either one could try to govern using states of exception, as The Washington Post’s Bogotá Bureau Chief Samantha Schmidt tells Latin America in Focus. “I do think that for those in the center, there’s a lot of uncertainty around both candidates."

What’s coming up in Latin America? 

• June 10: The Summit of the Americas wraps up in Los Angeles. Read AQ’s highlights of agreements reached and AS/COA’s background on the Summit. 

• June 17: Chile’s President Gabriel Boric marks 100 days in office.

THEY SAID WHAT?

• U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announces $1.9 billion in additional private sector commitment to Central America, bringing total pledges to $3.2 billion. (Reuters)

• Morena, the party of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, wins four out of six governors races in June 5 elections. (Los Angeles Times)

• For the first time ever, methane emissions are mapped from space…and Pemex is the culprit of the leak. (The European Space Agency)

• Brazilians are adopting digital payments at the fastest rate in the world. (World Economic Forum)

Challenges mount for Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, who faces a corruption investigation and cabinet shake-ups, as well as legislative steps that could lead to new elections. As polling shows, neither the president nor Congress can count on public support. (Diario de las Américas, La República, IEP)


70%

Disapproval level for Castillo—the highest since he’s taken office.

Disapproval rating for Peru’s Congress.

Portion of Peruvians who say the best course for the country is to have new elections for president and Congress. That figure is up from 48% in February.