Colombias runoff pits far-right outsider against leftist senator after first-round upset
Colombia’s presidential election heads to a high-stakes runoff on June 21 after far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Senator Iván Cepeda failed to secure an outright majority in the first round. De la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer and self-styled "El Tigre," won 43.74% of the vote, while Cepeda trailed with 40.9%, leaving 3.6 million undecided voters to determine the outcome, according to official results .
De la Espriella’s surprise first-place finish marks a seismic shift in Colombian politics, as his nationalist, Trump-aligned platform—including promises to deploy U.S. troops in Colombia—has upended the country’s traditional conservative establishment. His campaign, built on tough-on-crime rhetoric and polarizing social policies, has drawn comparisons to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, as reported by Reuters . Critics accuse him of embracing sexism and authoritarianism, while supporters praise his outsider status and hardline stance on security.
The runoff will hinge on the 12.36% of voters who backed neither candidate in the first round. With a margin of just 670,000 votes separating the two frontrunners, both campaigns are now scrambling to court centrists and undecided voters in a race that could redefine Colombia’s political trajectory. The Guardian notes that de la Espriella’s rise reflects voter fatigue with the status quo, though his ties to former U.S. President Donald Trump—including a pledge to host American military forces—have alarmed opponents .
Cepeda, a veteran leftist senator, now faces the challenge of consolidating progressive support while countering de la Espriella’s populist appeal. The June 21 vote will test whether Colombia’s electorate embraces a radical rightward shift or opts for a leftist alternative after decades of centrist rule.
Colombias runoff pits far-right outsider against leftist senator after first-round upset
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Henrik Brandão Jönsson: Trumpvänlig högerkandidat skakar Colombia RIO DE JANEIRO. Med nationalism, sexism och löften om hårda tag mot kriminaliteten har ytterhögerkandidaten Abelardo de la Espriella, 47, vunnit den första omgången i Colombias presidentval. Om han blir president vill han låta Donald Trump placera amerikanska styrkor i landet.
dagens nyheter · 5 days ago
The lawyer, showman and self-styled tiger seeking to remake Colombia Abelardo de la Espriella, the flamboyant lawyer, businessman and self-styled "El Tigre" who surged to first place in Colombias presidential first round, has built one of the most unconventional political brands in the countrys modern history.
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aljazeera · 5 days ago
Colombia Presidential Election Heads to Stark Runoff Between Left and Hard Right Colombias presidential election is heading to a June 21 runoff between far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Senator Iván Cepeda after neither contender secured more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round. With all ballots counted, de la Espriella finished first with 43.74 percent, while Cepeda came in second with […]
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independent · 5 days ago
Trump admirers surprise first-round win is a blow to Colombias traditional conservatives Success of far-right presidential candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella, suggests some voters are fed up with politicsThe far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella and the leftwing senator Iván Cepeda have just under three weeks to compete for the roughly 3.6m votes that did not go to either of them in the first round of Colombias presidential election.That is no insignificant number, given that De la Espriellas lead over Cepeda amounted to little more than 670,000 votes – 43.7 to 40.9. Continue reading...
theguardian · 6 days ago
🔊 De la Espriella has a personal style and a set of policies that have drawn a lot of comparisons to El Salvadors president, Nayib Bukele. On the Reuters World News podcast today, we discuss the outsider who won the first round in Colombias presidential election reut.rs/4fMYBKI
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