Colombians Vote in Presidential Runoff Between Progressive and Conservative Candidates

More than 41 million Colombians are eligible to vote Sunday in a presidential runoff that pits a far-left senator against a far-right lawyer. The two candidates advanced from an 11-person field after the May 31 first round. Official results showed the senator received 41 percent of the vote and the lawyer 44 percent.

The lawyer has proposed building 10 mega-prisons and pursuing a heavy-handed crackdown modeled on policies in El Salvador. The senator has pledged to continue efforts at dialogue with armed groups. One group of about 100 members laid down weapons and began a resettlement process on Thursday.

Last year authorities recorded 14,780 homicides, the highest total since at least 2015, while extortion cases reached 13,417, more than double the 2015 figure.

Both candidates have offered competing proposals to address the struggling health system, rising public debt, and entrenched corruption. The vote comes ten years after Colombia signed a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

"Right now, what worries me is the polarisation that exists between us: There are two very extreme sides, and the violence is concerning," John Manrique, a lawyer in Bogota, said. "What I hope is that people accept who won," he added. "Let's accept it, regardless of the side, and try to reach a social consensus.

" The lead-up to the runoff has seen an increase in verbal attacks between the candidates as well as accusations of fraud, vote-buying and intimidation. The senator filed a complaint with the Colombian Attorney General's Office and the International Criminal Court against the lawyer, accusing him of having ties to paramilitary groups.

The lawyer has denied the accusation.