Election Day

Today, Sunday, is a big day for Colombia. It is election day and after 8 years with the same president people are ready  for change. The mood is uncannily similar to our last elections. People are all fired up about the unlikely candidate Mockus, people have compared him to Obama.

As a foreigner in a new country we listen and watch with interest but of course we don't cast an opinion. It has been hard since most of my friends are excited sending FB messages, wearing campaign t-shirts and bracelets....you want to join in but it is not our place (although we do of course have a candidate in mind) but this country has had a long and complicated history and political past...and we are far from informed.

Most likely there will not be a result from this election and instead there will be a final election in June. There could be some big changes coming to this country. It is an interesting time to be here.

There are actually six or more canidates but the top two are below....

The son of Lithuanian immigrants, Antanas Mockus is a Colombian mathematician, philosopher and politician. After serving as rector at Bogota's Universidad Nacional, Mockus went on to become mayor of Bogota twice. He is renowned for his eccentric, outside the box thinking, which has led him to perform some unusual but thought-provoking stunts.

Partido de la U candidate Juan Manuel Santos is a Colombian politician, journalist and economist, who comes from one of Colombia's most influential family dynasties. He is the great-nephew of former Colombian President Eduardo Santos, who was the owner of newspaper El Tiempo, and grandson of journalist Eduardo Santos. He is also the cousin of current Vice President Francisco Santos.