Political shift to the right in Colombia

Today on State of the World, political change in Colombia and the UK . You're listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories up close where they're happening. It's Tuesday, june twenty third. I'm Greg Dickson. In a few minutes, we'll hear about the next president of Colombia, a political outsider backed by President Trump. But first, we go to London . There, unpopular prime minister Kir Starmer tearfully announced his resignation this week, standing at electorn outside number ten Downing Street . Every decision I've taken has been about putting the country I love first . That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. The man who may soon replace Starmer is Andy Burnham. He's the former mayor of Manchester , England who brought growth and development to that post industrial city. But he's no stranger to the halls of power in Westminster, and PR's Lauren Freer introduces us to Burnham. Andy Burnham was first elect ed to Parliament twenty five years ago when he was thirty one. In twenty fifteen, he was a veteran MP, welcoming a new lawmaker into the legislature. And for that, I wish to thank my honorable friend, the member for Holburn and St. Pancras for the assured the right honorable gentleman from Holburn and St. Pancras, otherwise known as Kir Starmer has managed to outshine his considerable reputation already. That same year Burnham put out this campaign video. I can unite this country , and that is why I am standing to be leader of the Labour Party. And Starmer was the one who nominated him, but Burnham lost twice then left, Parliament to become mayor of Greater Manchester. He brought economic growth to that post industrial city and has now returned to London as a folksy outsider, preaching business friendly socialism. The kind of things that Mayor Mum Danny campaigned on, you know, cheaper buses, better buses, more idible buses. John McTernan was political secretary to Prime Minister Tony Blair, and he says under Burnham, Manchester has had faster growth than any other region in the U K, including London. Burnham was sworn back into parliament yesterday. We now come to Undy Burnham Member for Makerfield . As the new MP for a working class area where he trouts the far right. He's seen as the best chance to do that nationally if he's chosen as Labor Party leader on his third try and becomes prime minister. He'd be the seventh prime minister since the Brexit vote, which happened ten years ag o today . It ended up shrinking the economy, sparking anger at the governing class and contributing to this revolving door of leaders. I think the chances of him staying very popular for long are small. Labor insider Polly Toynebe says Burnham faces the same headwinds as Starmer. Heavy debt, very difficult to raise more tax . This country has never really recovered from the financial crash of two thousand eight. Ever since then, wages standard of living pretty much stagnant, and that's created a great undercurrent of disaffection. What Burnham does have is a rare high approval rating for now. Lauren Freyer and PR News London . Colombia is also experiencing political change, but there it is a much sharper turn from a president that is on the left to one on the far right, and the margin of victory was razor thin. John Otis looks at whether Colombia's president elect can unite the country enough to govern. Abilardo del Esprea, a criminal defense lawyer who has never before held political office won a razor thin victory, setting off celebrations in many Colombian cities . According to Col ombia's National Electoral Council, Delesprea topped Ivan Sepeda, a left wing senator and protege of outgoing president Gustavo Petro about one percentage point. Delesprea has promised a sharp turn to the right after four years of left wing rule under Petro. Amid a surge in crime and guerrilla violence, de la Spreya says he will end peace talks with rebel s, launch a military offensive, and build ten mega prisons. In his victory speech, from behind a bulletproof glass shield , Delay Spreya said , We are beginning a historic mission to recuperate our security. He added, I will be a president who understands that there is no freedom without security , no democracy without authority . Delispre's victory reflects a broader shift across Central and South America, where right wing presidents now govern much of the region . And unlike the left wing petro who clashed with President Trump and had his U. S. visa cancelled, Del Esprea promises close ties to Washington. President Trump has already congratulated the candidate and last night he invited the president elect to come up to Washington. That's Carolina B arco, a former Colombian foreign minister. She said the two sides can cooperate on security, migration, trade, and Venezuela, Colombia's next door neighbor. And I think this is a moment where we can sit down and define a program that will be helpful for both countries. Rather than a problem, many Colombians viewed De Lesprea's lack of political experience as a plus. Petro Oscar Mahia, who voted for de la Sprea, points out that outgoing President Petrol previously served as a city councilman, mayor, and senator, but called his government a big disappointment. You don't need political experience to be president, he says. Critics claim De Lesprea has an authoritarian streak. They compare him to Nagibuke . He's the president of El Salvador who has violated democratic norms and put more than two percent of that country's adult population behind bars in a sweeping crackdown on gangs. Still, Bogota political analyst Sandra Bordova says de Lesprea might prove to be more moderate. If you are a larardo and you get the support of the private sector and the Colombian elites, you're not going to have a lot of need from, you know, authoritarian sort of measures . Indeed, following his narrow victory, Delisfreya was already toning down his radical rhetoric and reaching out to the losing side. Even if you didn't vote for me, your rights will be respected, he said. You will never have to be afraid of thinking differently. My aim is to win your trust. For NPR News, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Columbia . That's the state of the world