Colombia's president is Trump-backed Espriella

Photo: Collected

News Desk: Right-wing candidate Abelando de la Espriella, backed by Donald Trump, has secured a dramatic victory in Colombia’s presidential election according to the preliminary vote count. The businessman and lawyer, who had no prior political experience, campaigned on promises of launching tough military operations to combat Colombia’s long-standing internal armed conflict and crime.

His victory is being viewed as a major shift in the country’s political landscape. According to the preliminary unofficial results, he narrowly defeated left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda, a close ally of current President Gustavo Petro.

With more than 99 percent of the votes counted in the runoff election, de la Espriella received approximately 49.7 percent of the vote, while his opponent Cepeda secured 48.8 percent.

Following the closely contested result, de la Espriella addressed a massive gathering of supporters in the coastal region of his hometown, Barranquilla. He declared, “A new chapter begins for the country today, built upon the free and democratic will of millions of citizens.” Referring to himself as “El Tigre” or “The Tiger,” he pledged to govern for all Colombians and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the country’s 1991 Constitution.

The preliminary results have generated mixed reactions across Colombia. In Barranquilla, supporters of de la Espriella celebrated while wearing jerseys of Colombia’s national football team and hats bearing the slogan “Make Colombia Great Again,” modeled after Trump’s famous campaign slogan.

Meanwhile, left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda has refused to concede defeat at this stage. He argued that the preliminary count is not yet official or final and said his campaign would only accept the outcome after the completion of the formal verification process. Current President Gustavo Petro has also hinted at challenging the results. On the social media platform X, he called for an audit of the voting software and alleged irregularities at certain polling stations.

The sharply polarized election outcome has raised concerns about potential instability across the country. Reports have already emerged of clashes between protesters and police in Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, where law enforcement used tear gas to disperse angry crowds. However, despite concerns expressed by Cepeda’s supporters in the capital and other major cities, the overall situation has remained largely peaceful so far.

Abelando de la Espriella, who also holds U.S. citizenship, received strong support from former U.S. President Donald Trump during the campaign. Trump described the result as a “huge victory.”

Colombia has long struggled with challenges related to drug trafficking, illegal mining, and armed guerrilla groups. Claiming that President Petro’s peace negotiations had failed, de la Espriella pledged to end all such talks, build mega-prisons in the Amazon region, and conduct joint military operations with the United States.

International analysts view Colombia’s election as part of a broader trend of increasing support for right-wing politics across Latin America.