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Cepeda, speaking here at a campaign rally, says he'll negotiate peace treaties with drug trafficking rebels.
By contrast, his main rivals, right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espraya and conservative senator Paloma Valencia, are promising military crackdowns.
If no one secures more than half the votes in today's balloting, the top two finishers will meet in a June 21st runoff.
For NPR News, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Colombia.
According to polls, the frontrunner is Iván Zepeda, a left-wing senator and protege of President Gustavo Petro, who is banned by the Constitution from seeking a second term.
Cepeda, speaking here at a campaign rally, says he'll negotiate peace treaties with drug trafficking rebels.
By contrast, his main rivals, right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espraya and conservative Senator Paloma Valencia, are promising military crackdowns.
If no one secures more than half the votes in today's balloting, the top two finishers will meet in a June 21st runoff.
For NPR News, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Colombia.
Congressman José María Balcázar was sworn in late Wednesday night, a day after Peru's Congress impeached President José Herí.
He was ousted for holding undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen.
Peru has been plagued by political instability, in part because Congress has broad powers to remove presidents.
In his inaugural speech, Interim President Balcázar addressed this issue.
It's possible to build democracy, but we need a genuine democracy, he said.
Balcazar himself will likely be replaced soon, as Peru is scheduled to hold presidential elections later this year.
While many other world leaders have tried to flatter Trump, Petro has criticized him for everything from his policy of bombing suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea to his support for Israel.
which prompted Washington to revoke his U.S.