Runoff Election Set After First-Round Results
Colombians return to the polls Sunday for a presidential runoff between a far-right firebrand who calls himself “the Tiger” and a left-wing senator from the ruling party, in a contest that reflects sharply different visions for the country and could redefine Bogotá’s relationship with the United States. Sunday’s election comes after the strong showing by the far-right outsider, Abelardo de la Espriella, in the first round of voting in May, where he won 43.74% of the vote. The leftist candidate Iván Cepeda from the ruling Historic Pact coalition, who is backed by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, came in second place with just under 41% of the ballots. Neither gained the majority needed to win outright and are facing each other in the second-round vote.
Trump Endorses De La Espriella
Shortly after the election, Donald Trump gave his “complete and total” backing to de la Espriella, due to his “tremendous accomplishments in life, and his political support for me, personally,” the US president wrote on Truth Social. The endorsement underscores the potential shift in Colombia-U.S. relations if de la Espriella wins.
Mounting Political Tension and Polarization
The election comes at a moment of mounting political tension and polarization in the country, hastened by the collapse of the political center and a rise in political violence, experts say. The runoff is seen as a critical juncture for Colombia’s future direction.
Who Are the Candidates?
De la Espriella has run a campaign built on spectacle. He has recorded music, marketed his own rum brand, and has relied on AI-generated content to connect with audiences on social media. Political analyst Miguel Luján told CNN that de la Espriella’s showmanship was undoubtedly a factor in his lead in the first-round vote. A dual Colombian-US citizen, de la Espriella espouses an “iron fist” approach to crime and corruption. He’s spoken favorably of Trump’s policies and vowed to build mega prisons for Colombia’s criminal leaders in a similar vein to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. His campaign also advocates for a free-market economic agenda, casting a smaller state, lower taxes and resource extraction as the route to restoring order and growth.
Before entering politics, he was a high-profile criminal defense lawyer who built his career defending several controversial clients, including Alex Saab, the alleged financier and close ally of Venezuela’s ousted strongman Nicolas Maduro.
