Gustavo Petro, the leftist former mayor of Bogota and ex-rebel fighter, has been declared the winner of Colombia's presidential election.

Mr Petro, a current senator, defeated right-wing construction magnate Rodolfo Hernández in Sunday's run-off election.

Figures showed he took 50.5% of votes, defeating his rival by more than 700,000 ballots to become Colombia's first left-wing leader.

The 62-year-old hailed what he called a "victory for God and for the people".

"May so much suffering be cushioned by the joy that today floods the heart of the homeland," Mr Petro wrote on Twitter. "Today is the day of the streets and squares."

His running mate Francia Marquez, a single mother and former housekeeper, will become the country's first black woman vice-president

свернуть