“Historic Victory in Colombia”: De la Espriella Emerges as New President in Preliminary Vote Count

De la Espriella Leads Preliminary Count

Petro Calls for Waiting for Official Scrutiny

Cepeda to Challenge 33,000 Polling Stations

A Historic Vote Leaves Colombia Divided Between Two Political Projects

Colombia experienced one of the closest presidential elections in its recent history after lawyer and businessman Abelardo de la Espriella obtained a minimal lead over left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda in the preliminary count of the presidential runoff.

With 99.7% of polling stations reported in the preliminary count, De la Espriella reached 49.6% of the vote compared with 48.7% obtained by Cepeda, a difference of nearly 250,000 votes that keeps expectations high over the final result as the official scrutiny moves forward.

The day was marked by historic voter turnout of 63%, the highest recorded since the 1991 Constitution established Colombia’s presidential runoff system.

If the result is confirmed, the country would experience a significant political shift after the first left-wing government in its history, led by Gustavo Petro since 2022.

De la Espriella Celebrates a Victory Still Awaiting Official Election Results

De la Espriella Election Results – PHOTO : EFE

From Barranquilla, and protected by a security screen, Abelardo de la Espriella celebrated the preliminary results and highlighted the record number of votes obtained during the election.

“To drug traffickers, terrorists, kidnappers, extortionists, and the corrupt people who steal the people’s resources, I notify you tonight that Colombia once again has a government,” De la Espriella said.

“All those criminals will be pursued relentlessly under the laws of the Republic,” added the candidate known as “El Tigre,” emphasizing one of the main pillars of his campaign: security.

He also said he will be “a president of the Republic who understands that there is no freedom without security, no democracy without authority, and no nation without heroes like our police officers and soldiers who are willing to defend the Republic.”

De la Espriella also highlighted the magnitude of the vote he received

“This historic support fills us with gratitude, but also with enormous responsibility. Today begins a new stage for our country, a stage built on the free and democratic will of millions of citizens who decided to believe in a great, safe, prosperous Colombia full of opportunities,” he said.

Petro and Cepeda Reject Proclaiming a Winner Before Official Scrutiny

Despite the preliminary results of the election in Colombia, neither President Gustavo Petro nor candidate Iván Cepeda conceded defeat.

Petro called for caution and urged people to wait for the official results issued after the scrutiny process.

“No one can proclaim themselves president. It is the scrutiny that determines who the president is.”

He also called for calm amid the high political tension left by the Colombia election.

“Calm among citizens, please. Reality gives us a country split in half.”

The president also denounced irregularities during the electoral process, although he did not present evidence.

For his part, Cepeda announced that his campaign will challenge nearly 33,000 polling stations and reiterated that he will recognize only the final result.

“Once the result of the scrutiny is known and the corresponding verifications have been carried out, we will recognize the official result that emerges from that scrutiny,” he said.

Security and Economic Proposals Shaped the Electoral Campaign

The election was dominated by two opposing visions for the country’s future.

While Cepeda defended the continuity of the economic and social programs promoted by the current government, De la Espriella focused his campaign on security, institutional strengthening, and reducing the size of the state.

Among his main proposals are a “tough-on-crime” policy against organized crime, drug trafficking, and illegal armed groups, as well as strengthening the Armed Forces, building mega-prisons, and reforming the prison system.

He also proposes reducing the size of the state by up to 40%, lowering taxes, and reactivating sectors such as oil and mining.

Political polarization mobilized millions of citizens and led both De la Espriella and Cepeda to surpass previous presidential voting records, reflecting the division between those who support the continuation of Petro’s policies and those calling for deep changes in economic and security matters.

Trump’s Support Added an International Component to the Race

The campaign also received international attention after support expressed by U.S. President Donald Trump after the first round.

Trump said a potential victory for De la Espriella would be important for Colombia’s future and for the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

The U.S. president also described Cepeda as a “radical Marxist,” increasing the international visibility of an election that now remains pending official validation of the results by Colombian electoral authorities.

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SOURCE: BBC News