Colombia Elects Right-Wing Hardliner Abelardo de la Espriella as President
On June 21, 2026, Colombia voted in a highly polarized presidential runoff, electing far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella with 49.7% of the vote over leftist Iván Cepeda’s 48.7%. De la Espriella, a U.S.-Colombian dual citizen backed by President Trump, campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform, promising a military crackdown on armed groups, ending peace talks, reducing the state by 40%, and boosting oil production. The election, marred by violence, disinformation, and threats, marks a sharp rightward shift for Colombia and will shape its peace process and relations with Washington.
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Rightist leaders across Americas congratulate Colombia's President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella
Colombia's hard-right President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella won a razor-thin election with 49.66% of votes against leftist rival Ivan Cepeda's 48.70%. Rightist leaders from across the Americas congratulated him, including U.S. President Donald Trump who expressed support in a phone call and posted 'He Won, BIG!' on Truth Social. Argentine President Javier Milei celebrated 'freedom advancing throughout Latin America,' Ecuador's Daniel Noboa said 'Colombia chose order over impunity,' and Chile's Jose Antonio Kast, Panama's Jose Raul Mulino, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, and Peru's Keiko Fujimori also offered congratulations. The victory is expected to improve strained relations with Washington and extend a wave of rightist candidates promising 'iron fist' security policies across Latin America.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Abelardo De La Espriella wins Colombia's presidential election, returning country to right
Abelardo De La Espriella has won Colombia's presidential election, defeating Senator Ivan Cepeda in a closely contested race. His victory returns Colombia to the political right after four years under outgoing President Gustavo Petro, the country's first left-wing president, who was constitutionally barred from seeking re-election. The election marks a significant political shift in Colombia. The article, published by The Hindu on June 22, 2026, provides a summary of the result and its implications for Colombia's political direction.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Right-wing outsider poised to win Colombia election
Right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, a dual Colombian-U.S. citizen with no political experience, declared victory in Colombia's presidential runoff on Sunday night. With 99.9% of votes counted, he held 49.7% against leftist Senator Iván Cepeda's 48.7%, who suggested he would challenge the result. Endorsed by President Donald Trump, de la Espriella has promised a heavy-handed approach to crime-fighting, including ending peace negotiations with armed groups and building mega-prisons. A victory would return Colombia to conservative rule after leftist President Gustavo Petro's term and advance Latin America's broader shift to the right. The winner will be announced after a final verified count overseen by notaries and judges, and begin a four-year term on August 7. Due to the close race and divided Congress, where Cepeda's Historic Pact party holds a plurality, de la Espriella would likely have to moderate some proposals.
TheWeek feedRight-wing outsider Abelardo de la Espriella poised to win Colombia election
Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing lawyer and dual Colombian-U.S. citizen with no prior political experience, declared victory in Colombia's presidential runoff election. With nearly all votes counted, he held 49.7% against leftist Senator Iván Cepeda's 48.7%, who signaled he would challenge the result. De la Espriella, endorsed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, has promised a tough-on-crime approach, ending peace talks with armed groups, and building mega-prisons. His victory would return Colombia to conservative rule after leftist President Gustavo Petro's term and continue Latin America's rightward shift. However, due to the narrow margin and a divided Congress where Cepeda's party holds a plurality, analysts expect de la Espriella may need to moderate his proposals. The winner will be confirmed after a final verified count overseen by notaries and judges, with the four-year term beginning August 7.
TheWeek feedFar-Right Candidate Abelardo de la Espriella Wins Colombian Presidential Runoff
In Colombia's presidential runoff election, far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella won by a razor-thin margin, receiving approximately 49.6% of the vote against left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda's 48.7%, a difference of about 250,000 votes. The victory ends Colombia's first left-wing government and shifts the country to the far-right. De la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer and businessman, struck a conciliatory tone in his victory speech, promising no retaliation and loyalty to the constitution, despite a campaign marked by brutal rhetoric such as 'gutting the left.' He admires US President Donald Trump, El Salvador's dictator Nayib Bukele, and Argentina's Javier Milei. His campaign promises included mega-prisons, a 90-day military campaign against drug gangs, economic deregulation, and cutting the state apparatus by 40%. His background is contradictory: a former atheist who now embraces evangelical support, a US citizen raising loyalty concerns, and a figure with past legal work for narco-traffickers.
taz.de - taz.deRight-Wing Libertarian Abelardo de la Espriella Wins Narrow Victory in Colombia's Runoff Election
Abelardo de la Espriella, a pro-Western, US-backed right-wing libertarian lawyer with no prior elected office, narrowly won Colombia's presidential runoff election on June 21, 2026, defeating leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda by a margin of 49.7% to 48.7% (about 250,000 votes). The left has announced resistance, with defeated candidate Cepeda refusing to formally concede and outgoing President Gustavo Petro calling for lawyers to monitor counting stations. De la Espriella campaigned on a hardline platform to combat drug-running guerrilla groups and coca cultivation, advocating a strong market economy and Christian values. The article notes that the entire Andean region is now dominated by right-wing governments, and that the win was celebrated by US President Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk, and Argentine President Javier Milei. Analysts warn that uncertain times lie ahead for the polarized country, with potential regional and Western impacts.
Nachrichten - WELTAbelardo De La Espriella Elected Colombia's New Right-Wing President
Colombia elected nationalist lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella as its new President on June 21, 2026, marking a sharp political turn to the right. Nicknamed 'The Tiger', the anti-establishment candidate won the runoff against leftist senator Ivan Cepeda with 49.66% of the vote to Cepeda's 48.7%. De La Espriella campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform, pledging to reduce the size of the state by 40%, end peace efforts with armed groups in favor of hardened military response, and restart oil exploration to nearly double production to 1.3 million barrels per day. A 47-year-old attorney and businessman, he self-financed his campaign through his 'Defenders of the Homeland' movement. Critics note his business empire has debts and losses, and he has drawn comparisons to El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, proposing 10 mega-prisons. He also faces scrutiny for representing controversial figures, including Alex Saab. A married father of four, De La Espriella holds citizenship in the US, Italy, and Colombia, and is set to assume the presidency on August 7.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Colombia right-wing candidate De La Espriella leads in tight presidential race
Colombian right-wing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella led the presidential runoff on June 21, 2026, with nearly 50% of the vote and 95% of ballots counted, ahead of leftist rival Ivan Cepeda by about 368,000 votes. De La Espriella proposes a crackdown on crime, ending peace talks with armed groups, and boosting oil and gas. Cepeda vows to continue President Gustavo Petro's policies, including pension payments, labor reforms, peace talks, and a moratorium on new oil projects. De La Espriella blames Petro for economic and security woes and plans to cut taxes and reduce state size by 40%, but preserve a minimum wage increase. The winner will face high public debt and a divided Congress, potentially stymieing reforms. About 400,000 blank ballots were cast as protest votes.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Rightward shift in Colombia – Trump-backed De la Espriella wins presidential election
Right-wing hardliner Abelardo de la Espriella, known as 'The Tiger,' has narrowly won the Colombian presidential election against left-wing Senator Iván Cepeda. De la Espriella received 49.7% of votes to Cepeda's 48.7% after nearly all ballots were counted. The 47-year-old lawyer, who also holds US citizenship, was endorsed by US President Donald Trump. He plans to combat armed groups through military force, including airstrikes and the eradication of coca plantations, and advocates for economic deregulation. The election marks a sharp rightward shift for Colombia, which has been plagued by armed conflicts despite a 2016 peace agreement. Incumbent left-wing President Gustavo Petro was ineligible for reelection. The campaign was marred by violence, including the murder of a presidential candidate in June 2025.
Nachrichten - WELTColombians vote in Presidential runoff between right-wing and leftist candidates
Colombia held a presidential runoff election on June 21, 2026, with about 41 million voters choosing between hard-right frontrunner Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda. The election, the latest in a series of polarized Latin American votes, was dominated by security concerns following guerrilla attacks and the murder of a conservative candidate. De la Espriella, a dual U.S.-Colombian national backed by President Trump, won 44% in the first round and advocates a military crackdown on drug gangs and airstrikes. Cepeda, the political heir to outgoing President Gustavo Petro, won 41% and supports dialogue and the 'total peace' policy. The outcome will shape Colombia's peace process and relations with Washington.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Colombia Presidential Runoff: Far-Right Candidate Threatens to 'Gut and Exterminate' the Left
Colombia faces a highly polarized presidential runoff election on Sunday between far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Iván Cepeda. De la Espriella, who leads in polls by 4-8 percentage points after receiving 43.74% in the first round, has repeatedly threatened to 'gut' and 'exterminate' the left. The campaign has been marked by disinformation, AI use, and personal insults. Cepeda, from the ruling Pacto Histórico party, filed a criminal complaint with the International Criminal Court accusing de la Espriella of crimes against humanity for alleged paramilitary connections. Supporters report being insulted and threatened. Analysts say the election campaign is the most aggressive in recent memory, with traditional stigmatization of leftists as 'guerrillas' despite no active guerrilla groups seeking a coup.
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