Colombia's break with the past
Colombia, once the conservative stalwart in Latin America, turns a new page in electing leftist president Gustavo Petro. Plus, stories from France, the USA, Uganda and Iceland.
Gustavo Petro has been voted in as Colombia鈥檚 first ever leftist president 鈥� the former rebel and long-time senator campaigned to radically overhaul Colombia鈥檚 economy and bring an end to inequality. Katy Watson reports from Colombia鈥檚 capital Bogota on the country鈥檚 decisive break from its past.
Despite his own re-election victory earlier this year, President Emmanuel Macron saw his party lose 100 seats in French parliamentary elections this week. Meanwhile Marine Le Pen's far-right party saw an elevenfold increase in MPs, and the hard-left alliance, under Jean-Luc Melanchon, saw their own support double. As the battle to forge a consensus begins, Lucy Williamson went to meet some of the new arrivals.
Congressional hearings in Washington DC investigating the attack on the US Capitol building last year have made for gripping viewing. The committee panel has already heard a raft of Donald Trump鈥檚 former allies recount examples of presidential pressure to overturn the 2021 election result. Gabriel Gatehouse says, despite the evidence, the nation remains divided over which narrative to accept.
The effort to protect the world鈥檚 last remaining mountain gorillas in Uganda is reckoned to be a conservation triumph. But this success has come at a terrible price for the Batwa 鈥� or pygmy 鈥� people who used to share the forest with the gorillas. Justin Rowlatt met with a Batwa man who still yearns for his former home.
Domestic cats have been getting an uncharacteristically bad press recently in Iceland. One town proposed a cat curfew earlier this year 鈥� sparking fierce opposition from the newly-formed Cat Party in local elections. Egill Bjarnason has been following the 鈥楥at Wars鈥�.
Presenter: Kate Adie
Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond
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- Sat 25 Jun 2022 11:30麻豆社 Radio 4 FM
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