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• Left-wing senator backed by Petro, Ivan Cepeda leads polls with pledge to hold talks with armed groups

• Hard-right lawyer Abelardo, conservative senator Paloma Valencia advocate tougher military response

BOGOTA: Colombians began voting Sunday in a presidential election that will determine the nation’s response to spiraling violence by drug-running guerrillas, either staying left and opting for dialogue or tacking right towards all-out war.

Pre-election polls sho­wed left-wing senator Ivan Cepeda riding high on strong support for combative outgoing President Gustavo Petro, but he faces a challenge from hard-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella and conservative senator Paloma Valencia.