Abelardo De La Espriella, a criminal defense lawyer without prior political experience, looks set to achieve a narrow victory in Colombia’s presidential election, signaling a triumph for his supporters and the global right.
De La Espriella, endorsed by President Trump, reportedly garnered nearly 49.7% of the vote according to preliminary results from the election oversight agency. His opponent, Iván Cepeda, a leftist senator and human rights advocate, received roughly 48.7% with more than 99% of votes counted.
If successful, De La Espriella’s win would return Colombia to conservative rule after four years under Gustavo Petro, the nation’s first leftist president. This result continues Latin America’s shift to the right during Trump’s second term.
At 47, De La Espriella’s high-energy campaign featured machine-generated effects, artificial intelligence videos of tigers—his campaign mascot—and vigorous anti-Petro chants, mimicking a celebrity’s ascent. His position included promises to dismantle the Colombian left and requesting the Trump administration to target his political adversaries, which critics liken to autocratic tendencies.
De La Espriella campaigned on popular right-wing platforms, pledging to restore security amid crime concerns, revive the economy supposedly damaged by leftist policies, and combat corruption.
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