Bogota, Colombia – Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing populist nicknamed “Tiger”, narrowly won Colombia's presidential election.
A criminal defense lawyer who has never held political office received 49.65% of the vote in the second round, while Ivan Cepeda, a left-wing senator and ally of the current president, received 48.70%.
Cepeda's team said they acknowledged the figure. The results are part of a preliminary tally and are still subject to legal review.
De la Espriera's tough security rhetoric was welcomed by supporters. He promised to cancel negotiations with armed groups under President Gustavo Petro's comprehensive peace policy, increase defense spending and build giant prisons – emulating El Salvador's Nayib Bukele.
He also promised to shrink the country and jump-start the economy by bringing in more investment and boosting economic growth from 3% to 7%.
While his policies have been labeled right-wing, analysts say it is a different style of right-wing politics that Colombia has not seen before.
“This is an outsider right, anti-establishment, focused on the cultural struggle, more connected to regional waves represented by Mire, Castel, Bukele and Trumpism than to Colombia's traditional conservative movement,” said political consultant Ruben Erazo. Latin America Report. “It speaks the language of social media, not party headquarters. “
Erazo said it was not just policy promises that attracted voters, but also a rejection of the current government under President Petro.
Petro is a former member of the now-defunct M-19 guerrilla group and Colombia's first left-wing president. While poverty has declined under his administration, many citizens say they are satisfied with some of his social reforms, but others take issue with what they see as security, health and economic failures.
“Abelardo de la Espriella didn't win because of a detailed plan. He won through emotional identification, alleviating public frustration,” Errazo said.
Erazo said that by using the tiger symbol, the national football team's jersey and the narrative of defending the homeland, he succeeded in convincing voters that four more years of a left-wing government would be harmful to the country.
Since Petro took office in 2022, the number of combatants in armed groups made up of FARC dissidents who did not disarm after the 2016 peace deal, as well as other groups such as the Clan de Golfo and the ELN, has doubled.
While analysts point to a range of factors for the deteriorating security situation, many voters blame it on what they see as weak security policies and dialogue with armed groups.
Cepeda was the favorite to win in the first round on May 31, with de la Espriella surpassing him by three points. Even as his campaign tried to win back votes before the runoffs and convince undecided voters to vote for him, it wasn't enough.
Despite this result, analysts say it does not mean the collapse of “Petrismo”. Cepeda historically voted for the left in the first round, surpassing Petro's vote tally in the 2022 first round.
De La Espriera will take office on August 7, 2026.
Featured Image: Abelardo de la Espriella
Image source: Abelardo de la Espriella from X.
