Trump-endorsed outsider wins Colombia presidency after razor-thin runoff

BOGOTÁ (CN) — Far-right populist Abelardo de la Espriella claimed victory in Colombia’s presidential runoff on Sunday night, according to preliminary vote counts, capping a meteoric rise that has reshaped the country’s political landscape and ended four years of left-wing government under President Gustavo Petro.

With nearly all ballots counted, de la Espriella held a narrow lead over leftist Senator Iván Cepeda, Petro’s preferred successor, in one of the closest presidential races in recent Colombian history. De la Espriella collected 49.7% of the votes while Cepeda was close behind with 48.7%, though the official scrutiny process is expected to continue for several days and Cepeda vowed to challenge the results.

Supporters of de la Espriella celebrated across the country as the preliminary results were announced. In Barranquilla, where the president-elect delivered his victory speech, crowds gathered waving Colombian flags and chanting slogans in support of the incoming administration.

“Colombia will take a seat again among the free nations,” de la Espriella told cheering supporters, speaking from inside an armored glass box.

The 47-year-old lawyer, a political outsider who has never held elected office, built his campaign around promises to restore security, reduce the size of the state and confront armed groups with a more aggressive military strategy. He earned the endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump after portraying himself as capable of reversing what he described as Colombia’s economic and security decline under Petro.

De la Espriella first emerged as the frontrunner in the first round of voting in May before consolidating support from much of the Colombian right ahead of Sunday’s runoff. His victory represents a sharp political shift after Petro’s historic election in 2022 as Colombia’s first left-wing president.

Petro’s political coalition, however, urged supporters not to treat the preliminary count as definitive.

On Sunday evening, Cepeda described the result as “a fact that’s yet unofficial” and called on supporters to monitor the counting process. Leaders on the left argued that only the official scrutiny process can certify the election and urged their supporters to oversee the count to ensure transparency.

Shortly afterward, hundreds of Cepeda supporters gathered outside Corferias, Bogotá’s convention center and the site where vote-counting operations were underway, demanding transparency and oversight of the process.

Among them was Natalia Morales, a 44-year-old doctor who marched through the crowd in tears.

“I hope these results change,” Morales said. “Violence is not the answer for Colombia.”

Also gathered outside Corferias was Diego Iván Enciso, a 43-year-old construction worker who said he voted for Cepeda because of policies he believes benefit working-class Colombians.

“What attracted me were the proposals and the help for the most vulnerable people in this country,” Enciso said.

Enciso said his quality of life improved during Petro’s presidency, citing labor reforms and economic conditions that allowed him to spend more time with his family.

“My quality of life improved a lot,” he said. “Economically and professionally.”

He added that he fears a de la Espriella administration could reverse some of those changes.

As election officials began the formal scrutiny process Monday, Cepeda supporters said they would continue organizing vigils outside Corferias and monitoring the count until final results are certified.

The campaign unfolded against a backdrop of growing public concern over security, extortion, kidnappings and the territorial expansion of armed groups in several regions of the country. While Petro’s government promoted negotiations with guerrilla and criminal organizations under its “total peace” strategy, critics argued the policy failed to deliver meaningful reductions in violence.

De la Espriella capitalized on that frustration, promising a tougher approach that would prioritize military operations over negotiations. He has repeatedly signaled his administration would seek to weaken or terminate ongoing peace talks and instead pursue a more confrontational strategy toward armed groups.

“This is a rejection of Petro’s total peace policy,” said Glaeldys González Calanche, a Crisis Group analyst for the Southern Andes. “There’s an increasing frustration with security policies in Colombia, and de la Espriella proposes untraditional approaches to conflict, which caught the eye of many voters.”

González Calanche said the election could also usher in a period of significantly closer relations between Bogotá and Washington.

“The alignment on security policies is complete,” she said. “The agendas are synchronized.”

According to González Calanche, a de la Espriella administration is likely to pursue deeper cooperation with the United States on counternarcotics operations and security initiatives. She said Colombia remains one of Washington’s top regional priorities in anti-drug policy and could face pressure to deliver rapid results.

The preliminary result was quickly welcomed by conservative leaders across the Americas.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated de la Espriella and said Colombia’s “best days are yet to come,” signaling the Trump administration’s willingness to work closely with the incoming government. The statement reinforced expectations that relations between Bogotá and Washington could improve after years of friction between Petro and U.S. officials.

Argentine President Javier Milei also celebrated the result on social media, writing that “the Lion and the Tiger roar in Latin America,” a reference to his own nickname and de la Espriella’s campaign moniker. Milei had previously expressed support for the Colombian conservative during the campaign.

The apparent victory would give de la Espriella a strong mandate heading into his inauguration on Aug. 7, though the narrow margin has left the country deeply polarized.

As election officials continue reviewing ballots in Bogotá, supporters of both camps remain focused on the final count, watching closely as Colombia prepares for one of the most consequential political transitions in recent years.

Lucía Cholakian Herrera is a Courthouse News correspondent based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She reported from Bogotá, Colombia.

Follow @luciacholakian