Right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella wins Colombia's presidential runoff
Right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia’s presidential runoff, with electoral authorities reporting 49.7 percent for him against 48.7 percent for leftist senator Iván Cepeda, with 99.9 percent of ballots counted early on June 22. The margin was narrow, and turnout reached about 26.3 million of 41.4 million eligible voters.
A businessman and lawyer with no prior elected experience who holds US and Italian citizenship, de la Espriella ran against outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s leftist program. He has pledged to end peace negotiations with armed groups, expand oil and gas development, cut taxes, and mount a 90-day, US-backed military campaign against dissident factions. President Donald Trump backed him during the campaign and called to congratulate him.
The result marks a sharp reversal from Petro’s government and fits a broader rightward shift across Latin America. A win built on ending peace talks and reopening hydrocarbon development signals a near-complete unwinding of Petro-era security and energy policy, though de la Espriella will have to govern with a thin mandate given the close vote.