Martina Jaureguy Far-right candidate Aberlardo de la Espriella and left-wing Iván Cepeda will face each other in a runoff on Sunday.
In the first round, on May 31, De la Espriella led with 43.7% of the vote, followed by Cepeda with 40.9%.
The latter is the ruling party’s candidate, as current leader Gustavo Petro was unable to seek reelection, which was barred in the country in 2015.
De la Espriella is the favorite to win, according to the polls, after traditional right-wing candidate Paloma Valencia, who came in third in the election, announced she and her party, Centro Democrático (Democratic Center) — founded by former president Álvaro Uribe — would support him in the second round.
Who is Abelardo de la Espriella?
De la Espriella, a lawyer and businessman running for the Defensores de la Patria (Defenders of the Homeland) party, is a political outsider with no prior experience in elected office. He has branded himself as El Tigre (“The Tiger”), a nickname that has become central to his campaign image.
Among his main campaign promises is scrapping the peace strategy pursued by left-wing President Gustavo Petro to address Colombia’s decades-long conflict with armed groups. Petro’s approach has prioritized negotiations aimed at reducing violence and encouraging the demobilization of guerrilla and criminal organizations.
In contrast, De la Espriella has proposed completely ending dialogue with the guerrillas and even bombing the armed groups’ camp sites.
He also wants to take a tougher stance against drug trafficking and is against abortion and euthanasia.
“The only peace I believe in is the one enforced through the republic’s laws and the use of force,” De la Espriella said in an interview with France 24 in May. “Any criminal who does not surrender will be taken out, in accordance with the law. And if they do surrender, they will be sent to one of the 10 mega-prisons we plan to build so they can repay their debt to Colombian society.”
“Petro, you miserable criminal, and you, Cepeda, heir to the FARC, will not steal democracy. You are on your way out,” De la Espriella said on Sunday night after learning the results, speaking from behind bulletproof glass. “Cepeda, we will defeat you.”
FARC or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, was Latin America’s largest armed group, active between 1964 and 2016, when they were dismantled. Some of its members created a political party called Comunes (Commons), and dissidents who did not agree with the peace process continued operating.
Who is Iván Cepeda?
Cepeda, a philosopher and current senator, is seeking to carry forward the political legacy of President Petro.
He played a key role in designing the government’s “Total Peace” strategy, an effort to reduce violence through negotiations with guerrilla and other armed groups.
His proposals include implementing a universal basic income for vulnerable sectors and advancing wealth redistribution policies.
With De la Espriella considered the frontrunner, Cepeda faced the challenge of broadening his appeal beyond the left and winning over centrist voters ahead of the runoff.
