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I. Introduction
II. Main developments
The period under review was largely dominated by the electoral process. The first and second rounds of the presidential elections took place on 27 May and 17 June and, like the parliamentary elections of March 2018, were the most peaceful and inclusive for decades. Iván Duque, of the center-right center-right political party, in coalition with other parties, won the second round of elections with 10 million votes, the largest number ever received by a presidential candidate. He will be sworn in on August 7th. Colombia will also have, for the first time, a woman as vice-president, Marta Lucía Ramírez. Gustavo Petro came in second with over 8 million votes, the highest number of votes ever obtained for a presidential candidate running in a left-wing agenda. Under the status of the political opposition adopted in 2018 under the peace law, Gustavo Petro is entitled to a seat in the Senate as second place in the presidential election. Her compatriot, Ángela María Robledo, will take her place in the House of Representatives. Only a year after the end of the conflict between the state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP), Colombian politics is undoubtedly changing.
At the same time, the weeks following the elections witnessed an upsurge in the murders of social leaders. The violence was met with widespread repudiation throughout Colombian society and protests took place in more than 50 cities, both in Colombia and abroad. The President, Juan Manuel Santos, called for a national pact against this form of violence; the pact was signed by both the president and the elected president Duque, the main state institutions and political parties. The President convened a special meeting of the National Commission on Security Guarantees which included the participation of several civil society organizations outside the Commission. Among the decisions adopted at the meeting was the establishment of special protection measures for social leaders supporting opposition parties active in the interior of the country. The increase in the number of murders confirms the urgency of dealing with the type of violence that continues to affect mainly rural areas.
The new government will have to put this issue at the center of its agenda, and the judicial system
In his acceptance speech, President-elect Duque declared that his intention was to unite the country and "turn the page on polarization". With regard to the peace process, he reiterated the statements made during his campaign that his Government would not question the essence of the Peace Agreement, but would seek "corrections" by means of A national agreement. The nature of these changes is the subject of intense debate, particularly with respect to transitional justice.
After the presidential election, I hailed the intention of President-elect Duque to work to heal the divisions between Colombians and reaffirmed The United Nations accompany Colombia in consolidating hard-won gains gained peace and in achieving reconciliation after so many years of conflict. At a meeting with my Special Representative shortly after the elections, the elected President expressed his intention to work with the United Nations, including the Mission, to this end.
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