Trump-Backed Candidate Wins Colombian Presidency

UPDATE Jun 24, 2026 4:05 PM CDT

Iván Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia's presidential election to Abelardo De la Espriella, an outsider who was endorsed by President Trump. Results showed De la Espriella defeated Cepeda by 1 percentage point, or nearly 251,000 votes, the AP reports. "We assume with serenity, responsibility, and absolute resolve—and let there be no doubt about it—the role that circumstances demand of us," Cepeda said in an address to the nation. "We will exercise a democratic, vigilant and constructive opposition." The president-elect's campaign issued a statement saying De la Espriella's "purpose is to work for national unity, with the people and for the people," adding that he commits to guaranteeing "the right to political opposition and peaceful protest." He said Tuesday that Colombia will join Trump's "Shield of the Americas" coalition.

Jun 22, 2026 12:00 AM CDT

A hard-line political newcomer is poised to take Colombia's top job—and give Latin America's right wing another boost, the New York Times reports. With more than 99% of ballots counted Sunday, criminal defense lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella held a slim lead in the presidential race, taking about 49.7% of the vote to leftist Senator Iván Cepeda's 48.7%, according to preliminary results. The Trump-endorsed candidate's apparent win would end four years of leftist rule under President Gustavo Petro and mark Colombia's tightest presidential result since the country adopted a two-round system. The AP reports Cepeda is expected to challenge the results, and the Guardian reports Petro has already alleged voting irregularities.

De La Espriella, 47, reinvented himself from flashy Miami attorney to nationalist firebrand in a soccer jersey and straw hat, promising to crack down on crime with megaprisons, confront "narcoterrorists," roll back "gender ideology," and restore what he calls economic stability. His combative rhetoric—he pledged to "disembowel" the left and threatened harsh treatment for protesters—has alarmed critics who see echoes of authoritarianism, even as supporters celebrating in Bogotá chant for Petro's ouster. Backed by a respected former commerce minister as his running mate and close ties to Republicans in Florida, De La Espriella is set to inherit a polarized country, armed groups with advanced weaponry, a strained budget, and a contentious health system overhaul.