Former Marxist Militant, Bogota Mayor Seeks Colombia Presidency

Former Bogota Mayor and guerrilla fighter Gustavo Petro registered his name on Friday before Colombia’s National Registry to participate as a candidate in the 2018 presidential election.

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The leftist politician said he hopes to collect one million signatures to support his candidacy.

“We are not here to participate in elections, we've done it before. We are here to win,” Petro said.

“I invite all of Colombia's progressive forces to prepare to win the government.”

Petro, who served as mayor of Bogota from 2012 to 2015, has formed a grassroots election committee to assist him with his candidacy. The committee will seek to collect at least 386,148 signatures, although they said they expect to collect one million.

He said his campaign opposes the current government “stuck in the twentieth century and dependent on fossil fuels” and calls for “a 21st century Colombia that prioritizes life over particular interests, strengthens the public system and adapts the country to climate change.”

Petro also mentioned that he would respect the peace agreements signed between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, adding that he intends to seek “a true peace agreement” among Colombians.

In 2013, the Attorney General's Office dismissed him from his mayoral position and disqualified him from holding public office for 15 years over alleged irregularities during his term. Petro sued the Colombian government before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, eventually leading to the ruling being overthrown.

Last May, numerous social organizations organized a petition requesting the removal of current Bogota Mayor Enrique Peñalosa due to austerity measures imposed since Petro's ouster. Organizers collected more than 700,000 signatures.

At 17, Petro joined the Marxist 19th of April Movement guerrilla group, which has since given up arms and become the M-19 Democratic Alliance party. The leftist politician played a crucial role in promoting peace talks with the Colombian government, ushering in amnesty for his fellow combatants.