Colombia's election: A surprise run-off is on the horizon

 

Gustavo Petro, a former mayor of Bogotá and an ex-militant, came out on top of the survey as expected, with roughly 40% of the vote.

 Despite opinion polls favouring conservative Federico Gutiérrez, Rodolfo Hernández came in second.

 On June 19, Mr. Hernández and Mr. Petro will compete in the second round.

 If Mr Petro, 62, is elected, he will be the country's first left-wing president. He has pledged to address the country's grave inequities and transition the country away from fossil fuels and toward clean technology.

 The surprising victory for Mr Hernández, a 77-year-old construction billionaire with a populist streak reminiscent of ex-President Donald Trump of the United States, represents a setback for the traditional right.

 Despite being under investigation for allegedly favouring a corporation his son had pushed for, he ran on an anti-corruption ticket.

 Whoever wins next month will have to deal with growing unhappiness about rising inequality and inflation, as well as the legacy of the brutal war between communist rebels and the state, which was supposed to be ended by a 2016 peace agreement.

 Because he was limited to a single term by the constitution, Iván Duque, the very unpopular outgoing president, was not eligible to run again.

 As word of Mr Petro's first-round victory circulated around central Bogotá, his fans rejoiced.

 "People are demonstrating that they are tired of the same thing and that they want a change," said sound engineer Cristian Riano, 35, to Reuters.

 Environmentalist Francia Márquez, Mr Petro's running mate, aspires to be the country's first black vice-president.

 Federico Gutiérrez, viewed as Iván Duque's ideological heir, had been projected to finish second, but with nearly all of the votes counted, he had earned little under 24%, while Mr Hernández had won 28%.

 Mr Gutiérrez accepted loss and urged people to support Rodolfo Hernández and his running companion Marelen Castillo in the second round.