Colombian right-wing lawyer and businessman Abelardo de la Espriella, backed by the United States, has declared a narrow victory in Colombia’s disputed presidential runoff, tilting the balance in favour of the right and triggering violent protests.
Initial results from the counting of most votes showed de la Espriella (47), a political newcomer who has never held public office, winning 49.7% of the vote. He edged out left-wing senator and human rights advocate Iván Cepeda, who secured 48.7%.
Cepeda (63), an ally of outgoing president Gustavo Petro and widely popular among the working class, rejected the result before the final count, announcing plans to challenge the results across 33,000 polling stations.
De la Espriella, who admires Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei, has promised to “build massive prisons where inmates are given bread and water,” bomb drug-trafficking camps with support from Washington and "Israel", cut government jobs by 40%, and support hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction, which is harmful to the environment.
He is scheduled to take office on August 7, amid escalating violence and a six-decade-long internal armed conflict, as well as expert fears that his pledges to carry out military strikes could trigger a new cycle of violence, especially given his lack of a parliamentary majority.
While his supporters celebrated in several cities wearing the national football team’s yellow shirts, de la Espriella, nicknamed “the Tiger”, marked the beginning of a new era behind bulletproof glass in Barranquilla, vowing to pursue criminals.
In contrast, protests and violent clashes broke out with riot police in the capital Bogotá and the city of Cali, where angry demonstrators burned US flags in rejection of his economic and environmental policies and in condemnation of the return of right-wing governments, which they accuse of enriching the wealthy and marginalizing the poor.
"I wish to make a very cordial appeal for composure and calm," said Cepeda, stressing he had not called for violent demonstrations.
Any protests, he said, should "remain strictly within the bounds of tranquility and peaceful mobilization."
Internationally, the result received broad US support, with President Donald Trump congratulating de la Espriella on his Truth Social platform, expressing his desire to build “a strong relationship that brings greatness to both countries.” His Secretary of State Marco Rubio also congratulated him, praising future cooperation on security and ending illegal immigration.
Congratulations also quickly followed from Argentine President Javier Milei, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Chilean President José Antonio Kast, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Peruvian opposition leader Keiko Fujimori, and Venezuela's María Corina Machado.