Political Outsider Abelardo de la Espriella Leads Colombia’s Presidential Election

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella held a narrow lead in Colombia’s presidential runoff election, with nearly all votes counted. His victory could signal a rejection of the policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro. De la Espriella, a business owner and lawyer backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, led Iván Cepeda, Petro’s ally, with 49.7% of the vote compared to Cepeda’s 48.7%, with 99.9% of results released. Election officials have yet to formally declare a winner.

De la Espriella addressed supporters behind bulletproof glass in Barranquilla, announcing his win and promising to govern inclusively without retaliation. Cepeda, who challenged the count as unofficial, vowed to contest results from over 30,000 voting stations. “We will not allow … the rollback of the social gains we have achieved,” Cepeda said. Petro echoed his ally’s call for challenging the outcome.

Throughout Bogotá, chants of “Petro out!” filled the streets as both candidates provided voters with differing plans to deter the country from reverting to past violence. De la Espriella proposed a tough-on-crime strategy, including halting Petro’s peace efforts and adopting Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s policies which have faced allegations of human rights abuses.

The incoming president’s supporters celebrated in Barranquilla as Sunday’s winner will begin serving a four-year term on August 7.

Tough-on-crime approach

De la Espriella, 47, plans a heavy-handed approach to crime, particularly drug trafficking. He aims to terminate Petro’s peace negotiations with armed groups and construct megaprisons. Though such measures have reduced homicide rates in El Salvador, they have sparked human rights concerns.

Possessing both Colombian and U.S. citizenship, de la Espriella is a staunch Trump supporter and Republican Party member. His supporters see this election as crucial given Colombia’s longstanding conflicts and drug-related polarization.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and leaders of Argentina and Ecuador promptly congratulated de la Espriella. Rubio emphasized cooperation between the two administrations on regional security and economic ties, stating, “Colombia’s best days are ahead.” Trump also expressed his support on social media.

President sowed doubts in election results:

In the initial round, Cepeda garnered 41% of the vote to de la Espriella’s 44%, with Petro casting doubt on the results without evidence. Yolanda Hernández, a resident of Bogotá, voted for de la Espriella, shifting from her previous support for Petro, citing unfulfilled promises of reduced costs and services.

Will Freeman, from the Council on Foreign Relations, remarked that the election outcome reflects Colombia’s regional and ideological divisions. De la Espriella’s law-and-order message resonated more with central regions rather than those heavily impacted by violence.

Fighting and illegal groups

Colombia’s election comes a decade following a historic peace agreement with FARC rebels. However, violence resurged as many rebel groups turned to drug trafficking profits. Colombia’s illegal armed forces total over 27,000 members.

Last year, the country saw 14,780 homicides, the highest since 2015, largely fueled by clashes between these groups. The conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe was among those slain. Extortion incidents surged to 13,417 cases in 2025, over double the count from a decade prior.

De la Espriella’s pledge to tackle criminals aggressively and construct 10 megaprisons reflects his resolute stance against crime.