MUHAMMED SHABEER
The victory of left-wing forces in the presidential elections held in the South American country of Colombia last year has received much traction among political analysts. Colombian politics was dominated by the traditional parties called the Colombian Liberal Party and the Colombian Conservatives Party since the 1850s. While, a populist left-wing trend termed as the ‘pink tide’ headed by leftist, socialist leaders and movements was making headlines across Latin America in the last two decades and grabbed state power, Colombia remained insulated against that trend. In those days, while many Latin American counties were experimenting with the Socialism of the 21st century, Colombia was dealing with paramilitary violence, guerilla groups, state repression, narco-trafficking, drug cartels, etc. Even though the ‘pink tide’ faced setbacks and retreated for a while in the last decade, riding on the tides of social movements and popular mobilizations against austerity and repression, ‘pink tide’ returned to Latin American politics in the last three years and in 2022, Colombia also joined the chorus. This article analyses the various factors that had contributed to the rise of the left in Colombia in the backdrop of the trajectories of the ‘pink tide’ manifestations across the continent.
Key Words: Pink tide: Gustavo Petro; Colombian left; Latin America; Lula da Silva; Far-right; Aureliano Buendia; State Repression; Social Movements; Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
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