Trump admirer’s surprise first-round win is a blow to Colombia’s traditional conservatives

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Colombia’s presidential election took an unexpected turn on Sunday as far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella won the first round, defeating leftist senator Iván Cepeda, the candidate backed by outgoing President Gustavo Petro. The two will face each other in a runoff on June 21, after no candidate secured an outright majority.

De la Espriella, a self-described “Tiger” and outspoken admirer of US President Donald Trump, took approximately 43.7% of the vote, while Cepeda, a philosopher and human rights activist, captured about 40.9%, according to results carried by multiple outlets. The margin was just over 670,000 votes, with about 3.6 million votes going to other candidates.

Coverage comparison

The first-round result was widely reported as a surprise. Although opinion polls in recent weeks had detected De la Espriella’s rapid rise, most continued to show Cepeda with a solid lead. The victory was interpreted by several outlets as a sign that the radical right has overtaken Colombia’s traditional conservative forces, a development reflected in the collapse of the candidacy of rightwing senator Paloma Valencia, who finished with just 6.9% of the vote.

Political scientist Yan Basset told The Guardian that “what really helped De la Espriella was Valencia’s collapse,” describing a tactical shift of rightwing voters toward De la Espriella, who appeared to be the safest rightwing candidate to reach the runoff. Another analyst, Nadia Jimena Pérez Guevara, said De la Espriella “managed to consolidate the vote of the dissatisfied citizen, not only those opposed to Petro and leftwing policies, but also people who are simply fed up with politics.”

Following the first round, Cepeda and Petro raised questions about the accuracy of the results, prompting De la Espriella to accuse them of trying to “steal democracy from us” and drawing parallels with Venezuela’s ousted leader Nicolás Maduro, as reported by the Buenos Aires Times. Cepeda said he was waiting for electoral authorities to scrutinize the results before accepting them, though he acknowledged the vote was likely going to a second round, according to The Hindu.

Key claims

• Abelardo de la Espriella won the first round of Colombia’s presidential election with approximately 43.7% of the vote, according to results reported by BBC, Buenos Aires Times, France 24, and The Guardian.
• Iván Cepeda came in second place with approximately 40.9% of the vote, as reported by the same outlets.
• The election will be decided in a runoff on June 21, as reported by BBC, France 24, The Guardian, and The Hindu.
• De la Espriella has promised to crack down on crime, build 10 mega-prisons, and pursue a military offensive against armed groups, according to France 24 and the Buenos Aires Times.
• Cepeda has promised to continue the current government’s policies, including efforts to negotiate with armed groups and expand social programs, as reported by France 24, The Guardian, and the Buenos Aires Times.
• Ecuador’s president was accused of interfering in Colombia’s election, as reported by BBC. The accusation came after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said he would lift tariffs on Colombian products following a conversation with De la Espriella.
• US President Donald Trump endorsed De la Espriella, citing his “tremendous accomplishments in life, and his political support for me, personally,” according to France 24.

Perspectives

Colombian government (Gustavo Petro): Outgoing President Gustavo Petro criticized the US for supporting De la Espriella, accusing Washington of allying itself with “narco-traffickers.” Petro also questioned the integrity of the first-round results, according to reports from France 24 and The Hindu.

De la Espriella campaign: Abelardo de la Espriella framed his victory as a mandate for change, vowing to “change the history of Colombia forever.” He dismissed allegations of irregularities, accusing his opponents of attempting to steal democracy, as reported by the Buenos Aires Times and The Guardian.

Ecuadorian government (Daniel Noboa): President Daniel Noboa described a conversation with De la Espriella as one with an administration-in-waiting, announcing an agreement on trade and security, including the lifting of tariffs. Colombia’s foreign ministry criticized the move as interference, as reported by BBC.