Abelardo De la Espriella, a right-wing lawyer with no prior elected political experience, appears to be Colombia’s next president, according to preliminary results from Sunday’s runoff election.
If formalized, he would defeat Senator Iván Cepeda, a long-time left-wing politician, receiving 49.7% of the vote, with 99% of votes counted nationwide.
De la Espriella, a conservative lawyer and dual citizen of the U.S. and Colombia, campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform and has promised to build 10 mega-prisons in the South American Country, inspired by the security policies of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, amid rising violence in the country.
De la Espriella was endorsed by Trump earlier this month.
“The results of this election are very important to the future of Colombia and its relationship with the United States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Because of his tremendous accomplishments in life, and his political support for me personally, it is my honor to give Abelardo my complete and total endorsement.”
Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the opposition Defenders of the Motherland movement arrives to vote in the runoff election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. ((AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd
Colombia’s current president, Gustavo Petro, cast doubt on the election results on social media, citing alleged “irregularities” at polling stations.
Elizabeth Dickinson, Bogotá-based deputy director for Latin America at the International Crisis Group, said that half of Colombians voted for a “hard-handed security crackdown,” while she said the other half voted for social and economic reforms.
“Colombians voted for two extremes, and whoever governs is going to have to find a midpoint that unites the country,” Dickinson told ABC News.
If confirmed, De la Espriella would become one of the most outspoken conservative leaders in Latin America and is expected to strengthen ties with the Trump administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated De la Espriella in a post on X, saying that Colombia’s “best days are ahead.”
“The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration to advance regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen our economic ties,” Rubio said.
