海角大神

While Clemencia Carabali was watching TV coverage of the funerals of five Afro-Colombian teens who had been tortured and killed back in 2020, she did not expect anything could shake her from her anger and grief.

Then, fellow human rights activist Francia M谩rquez turned to address the cameras to announce a run for Colombia鈥檚 top office.

鈥淲hat a daring thing to do,鈥� Ms. Carabali remembers thinking, after she almost fell from her seat. 鈥淚n a racist, sexist, classist鈥� country like Colombia, Black women from poor families like Ms. M谩rquez don鈥檛 successfully cross the barriers into national politics, she says.

But that could be about to change.

Ms. M谩rquez has experienced a meteoric rise over the past several months, from an environmental activist with little national name recognition to a political candidate with a growing, rock-star following. She鈥檚 now the vice presidential candidate on the leftist Historic Pact party ticket of Gustavo Petro at presidential elections this weekend, and her presence has inspired the nation鈥檚 鈥渘obodies,鈥� as she refers to Colombia鈥檚 long-overlooked poor citizens.

Colombia has never had a leftist president, let alone an Afro-Colombian vice president, and the pair are promising progressive changes such as greater access to land for poor people and widespread health services. Mr. Petro, who is making his third presidential bid and previously served as mayor of Bogot谩, the capital, is聽polling well in the lead, but is not likely to win the 50% of votes needed to stave off a second round.

But it is Ms. M谩rquez鈥檚 atypical profile that is igniting new levels of hope for her supporters at this election. She is a Black woman and was a teenage mother who cleaned houses in a nation where femicides are an enduring scourge and Afro-Colombians are聽twice as likely聽to suffer infant mortality and hunger as the average citizen.

She has dedicated her career to environmental activism in a country deemed the deadliest place in the world for that type of work. Her family was forced off its land because of her activism, the sort of thing that can often get you labeled a guerrilla sympathizer in a country that only recently declared an end to its nearly six-decade-long civil war.

鈥淚 am a woman who has lived through the hardships of this country, which is what most Colombians have lived through,鈥� Ms. M谩rquez says in an interview. She connects with her constituents, she says, because they see themselves reflected in her.

鈥淚f I can become vice president, I send a message of empowerment,鈥� to the youth, to women, to poor people of Colombia who have long suffered, she says.

鈥淭hey feel pain but at the same time, they feel hope.鈥�

From 鈥淕reen Nobel鈥� to presidential ticket

Ms. M谩rquez became an activist at the age of 13, when the construction of a dam threatened her hometown. The risks it posed to her ancestral territory 鈥� drying up wetlands and flooding traditional crops 鈥� propelled her into a career in environmental advocacy. In 2014, she organized a 10-day, 350-mile march and three weeks of demonstrations to protest illegal gold mining, which forced the government to dismantle mining machinery in the town of La Toma and create a national task force on illegal mining. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, or 鈥淕reen Nobel,鈥� in 2018.

But environmental activism rarely translates to a career in politics 鈥� at least in Colombia. The political establishment is made up of familiar profiles: wealthy, white, male. That has created deeply entrenched distrust between the government and people in many rural and poor parts of the country, which are often the regions hardest hit by Colombia鈥檚 decadeslong civil conflict. As a result, many who look like Ms. M谩rquez or come from similarly humble beginnings are disengaged from traditional politics and missing from the national conversation.

Her swift rise has taken many by surprise.

鈥淲hen she began to gain so much momentum, nobody expected it,鈥� says Aura Hurtado, who teaches history at the Universidad del Valle in Cali.聽But Dr. Hurtado says the country was primed for a leader like Ms. M谩rquez.

Colombia is experiencing a period of enormous discontent. Inequality and lack of opportunity heightened during the pandemic, as unemployment rose from 10% to 15% and sparked widespread protests, which were forcefully repressed by the government. Some 40% of the population lives in poverty.聽

鈥淭he young people who participated in the [protests] recognize her as part of the front line,鈥� Dr. Hurtado says. 鈥淭hey recognize her as a legitimate political leader,鈥� in a way most established politicians are not.

Mr. Petro鈥檚 biggest challenger this weekend is Federico Guti茅rrez, a former mayor of Medell铆n who has the support of center-right voters and would be expected to uphold the political status quo if elected.

Ms. M谩rquez has provided the Historic Pact party with 鈥渙utsider鈥� bona fides, which she plays up in her public appearances. Her success so far 鈥� including placing third in the presidential primary in March 鈥� 鈥渟hows the tremendously adverse sentiment that people have against the political class at this time in Colombia,鈥� says Sandra Borda, an associate professor of political science at the Universidad de Los Andes.

鈥淲e will have love鈥�

On a recent Saturday night, the Parque de los Periodistas in downtown Bogot谩 was packed with people donning T-shirts scrawled with聽鈥�vivir sabroso,鈥� roughly translating to 鈥渓ive life to the fullest,鈥澛燼nd 鈥淰ice President Francia鈥� hats. The crowd was speckled with the purple color of Mr. Petro鈥檚 Historic Pact party, and a rainbow flag fluttered above the crowd.

Ms. M谩rquez鈥檚 closing campaign event coincided with Afro-Colombian Day, a commemoration of the country鈥檚 abolition of slavery, and many rallygoers hailed from Afro-Colombian communities.

When Ms. M谩rquez finally took the microphone, the crowd erupted, chanting, 鈥淲e love you, Francia.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy when you are a girl, and they tell you that your hair is ugly ... that your ancestors are African 鈥� and the references are not to the Africa that developed humanity, but to the ... impoverished Africa,鈥� she told the crowd, her voice growing hoarse with emotion.

She went on to call for Afro-Colombian pride, and for the necessity of dreams and role models for citizens of all stripes. Afro-Colombians make up roughly 10% of the population and are underrepresented in business and politics.

Even before polls open this weekend, Ms. M谩rquez聽has made a lasting mark on politics here, says David Murillo, a racial justice researcher at Dejusticia, a human rights nongovernmental organization. Soon after she was announced as Mr. Petro鈥檚 vice presidential pick,聽four out of the other six candidates聽also selected Afro-Colombian running mates.

It鈥檚 no coincidence. Her candidacy 鈥渋s the recognition of a population that has been invisible for many years, decades, even centuries,鈥� Mr. Murillo says.

Ms. M谩rquez鈥檚 rise has sparked challenging conversations around racism, classism, and machismo. She is starting 鈥渢o generate discomfort in what is known as the establishment,鈥� says Mr. Murillo. 鈥淪he is touching on issues that were not talked about before.鈥�

Joha Ardila, a political science student attending Ms. M谩rquez鈥檚 closing rally, agrees.

鈥淎s a Black woman, that Francia M谩rquez has put herself in a space of power means that all Black women and all Black girls can grow thinking about reaching that space,鈥� she says, adding that 鈥� at last 鈥� she feels seen in her own country.

Ms. M谩rquez finished her speech from behind police shields after bodyguards spotted a green laser pointed at her chest. Even before she exploded onto the national political scene, Ms. M谩rquez survived assassination attempts and death threats for her activism. As her security team ushered her offstage, she struggled to deliver her final message, fireworks erupting behind her.

鈥淎fter hope, we will have love,鈥� she called out. 鈥淲e will have joy.鈥�