Abelardo de la Espriella has claimed victory in Colombia’s presidential runoff election, edging out left-wing rival Iván Cepeda in a close contest. The 47-year-old defense attorney ran on a platform centered on fighting crime, cutting bureaucracy, and strengthening Colombia’s economy.
According to figures released by Colombia’s National Registry, with 99.99% of polling stations reporting, De la Espriella captured 49.66% of the vote, while Cepeda, 63, received 48.7%. Out of more than 41 million eligible voters, roughly 26.3 million ballots were cast in the runoff, with De la Espriella pulling in approximately 12.9 million of those votes.
President Donald Trump had thrown his support behind De la Espriella during the campaign. After the results came in, Trump took to Truth Social to comment on the outcome, writing: “He Won, BIG.”
Celebrations broke out among De la Espriella’s supporters, with some wearing hats styled after those popular at Trump rallies, emblazoned with the phrase “Make Colombia Great Again!”
De la Espriella, who branded himself as the law-and-order candidate and goes by the nickname “El Tigre” — meaning “The Tiger” — marked his victory in Barranquilla alongside vice president-elect José Manuel Restrepo, a former finance minister.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters, De la Espriella declared, “Tonight marks the beginning of a new story for the nation, tonight a new era begins, a change of order.”
He also made a point of pledging unity, saying, “I’m going to govern for all Colombians. For those who voted for me, and for those who chose the other candidate.”
In a written statement, De la Espriella added that “today begins a new stage for our country, a stage built on the free and democratic will of millions of citizens who chose to believe in a great, safe, prosperous Colombia full of opportunities.”
Cepeda, a close ally of current President Gustavo Petro, had not formally conceded as of Sunday night. While acknowledging the preliminary vote count, he indicated his team was waiting for the process to be completed, stating: “Once the official canvass takes place and its final result is produced, and the corresponding verifications have been carried out, we will recognize the official result that emerges from that structure.”
The official certification of the results was still pending following the release of the preliminary figures.
