Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won a second term on Sunday with an election victory that allows him to continue peace talks with Marxist guerrillas to end a half-century war.
Santos beat right-wing challenger Oscar Ivan Zuluaga with about 50.9 percent support in a runoff vote after a bitter campaign that forced voters to choose between the incumbent's pursuit of negotiated peace or a likely escalation of combat under his rival.
Zuluaga won 45 percent support and conceded defeat on Sunday evening. (For more on the vote, see (Full Story))
At Santos' campaign headquarters in Bogota, supporters danced, waved flags and chanted "Colombia wants peace" as music blared.
"These were different elections, what was at play wasn't a candidate's name, it was the direction the nation will take."," Santos said, wearing a trademark pin of a white dove on his lapel as he proclaimed victory surrounded by family.
"If people mobilized for me it's because they know that history has its moments and this is the time for peace, the time to end this long and cruel conflict."
Source: Reuters
