Abelardo de la Espriella elected president in Colombia's runoff
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Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing millionaire lawyer, won Colombia's presidential runoff by a narrow margin over left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, while incumbent President Gustavo Petro questioned the preliminary results.
Abelardo de la Espriella secured the presidency in Colombia's second-round vote, receiving 12.91 million votes (49.65%) against Iván Cepeda's 12.67 million (48.7%). A small share of ballots, about 1.6%, were cast blank. The result, confirmed after 99.65% of votes were counted, narrows the margin from the first round, where de la Espriella led by roughly 673,000 votes.
The outcome ends four years of left-wing governance under former President Gustavo Petro, who is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election and had endorsed Cepeda. Petro posted on social media that he suspected irregularities in the preliminary tally, alleging that some forms were uploaded without required signatures and urging challenges to affected polling stations. He added that the official scrutiny process, expected to conclude in a few days, would determine the final result.
De la Espriella, a lawyer known for representing paramilitary figures and a businessman in liquor, real estate and apparel, campaigned on a hard-line security platform. He pledged to build ten maximum-security prisons and to intensify military action against criminal groups, including seeking U.S. assistance for airstrikes on coca cultivation areas. His running mate, economist José Manuel Restrepo, previously served as finance minister and is tasked with implementing a plan to reduce the size of the state.
Analysts note that de la Espriella's victory reflects a broader shift toward far-right candidates in Latin America, following recent wins in Honduras and Chile. The new administration will assume office on 7 August with a minority in Congress and a deeply polarized political environment.
"No president can be declared yet. It is the scrutiny process that determines who the president is," Petro said.
The election was marked by heightened violence, and both candidates exchanged harsh rhetoric throughout the campaign, underscoring the country's current divisions.
