Gustavo Petro, a former rebel fighter who has promised profound social and economic change, has won the race for president of Colombia.

Petro's victory in Sunday 's presidential runoff will make him the first president of the left wing of the country, foreign media write, Telegrafi reports.

He won 50.4 percent of the vote, while his rival Rodolfo Hernandez, a construction mogul, had 47.3 percent.

"From today, Colombia is changing, a real change that leads us to one of our goals: the politics of love… understanding and dialogue," Petro said excitedly to his supporters in the Colombian capital, Bogota.

A senator and former mayor of Bogota, Petro's victory underscored a drastic shift in presidential policy for a country that has long marginalized the left for its perceived link to armed conflict.

Petro himself was once a rebel with the M-19 movement already missing and was granted amnesty after being jailed for his involvement with the group.

In his victory speech, Petro, 62, issued a call for unity, saying all members of the opposition would be welcomed into the presidential palace "to discuss Colombia's problems".

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