Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s left-wing president, is floundering 

Gustavo Petro is often late. Colombia’s first avowedly left-wing president was famously delayed in voting for himself in last year’s presidential election (he left his ID at home). On October 24th he continued that tradition by landing in China eight months after declaring an impending trip. Mr Petro was expected to sign up for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Beijing’s tarnished infrastructure splurge. Yet he managed to arrive the week after the end of the BRI summit, and left with a dozen deals and several “working groups” to improve commerce between the two countries, instead. One year into his term Mr Petro is struggling, and not just against the clock.