Far-right lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella has won Colombia’s presidential runoff, according to an initial ballot count that gave him 49.66% of the vote against Iván Cepeda’s 48.70%, with 99.9% of ballots counted by the national registrar.
The margin was roughly 250,000 votes, making the contest one of the closest presidential races in the country’s recent history. Under Colombian law, a final verified count overseen by notaries and judges is required, and Reuters said it was nearly complete by late Sunday.
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🚨 JUST IN: Sec. MARCO RUBIO has just spoken with Colombia President-elect Abelardo De La Espriella — OFFICIALLY recognizing him as the country's next leader
— Q RIGHT SCOPE (@Qrightscopee) June 22, 2026
President Petro will try and FAIL to override the election results. Socialists are livid tonight! 🔥
RUBIO: "Just spoke… pic.twitter.com/e1ZLg9Fo4w
De La Espriella's agenda
De La Espriella ran as a law-and-order outsider, blaming outgoing President Gustavo Petro for Colombia’s security and economic troubles and promising a hard break from the left-wing agenda.
He campaigned on ending peace talks with armed groups, boosting oil and gas production, lowering taxes, and shrinking the state by as much as 40%, while also floating the idea of building mega-prisons. He also pledged to restart oil exploration and allow fracking to raise output sharply.
Addressing supporters in Barranquilla, he said, “I will govern for all Colombians, for those who voted for me and for those who chose the other candidate,” and he promised to respect citizens’ rights.
Today Colombia held a presidential runoff between 40 million voters and had 99.91% of votes counted within two hours of polls closing. The winner Abelardo De la Espriella defeated left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda by less than 250,000 votes.
— Tony Lane 🇺🇸 (@TonyLaneNV) June 22, 2026
Results confirmed the same night. No… pic.twitter.com/cZMetsP4Fh
The challenge begins
Cepeda, Petro’s political ally, had positioned himself as the candidate of continuity, promising to preserve the current administration’s social measures and peace efforts with armed groups.
After the result, his campaign signaled that it would challenge the count. AP reported that it considered the tally “unofficial and non-binding” and planned to contest results from more than 30,000 voting stations.
Cepeda also warned against reversing recent gains, saying, “We will not allow ... the rollback of the social gains we have achieved.” Petro, too, has vowed to challenge the outcome.
New chapter for Colombia. AI Generated What comes next
The victory would put a political newcomer with no prior elected experience in charge of a country still wrestling with armed groups, drug trafficking, and uneven state control.
De La Espriella, nicknamed “The Tiger,” is 47, has dual Colombian and US citizenship, and is also a citizen of Italy. He is set to assume the presidency on August 7.
He will enter office facing a divided Congress, which could force him to soften some of his most ambitious proposals. The win also fits a broader regional shift to the right, which is reshaping politics across Latin America.
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FAQs
Q1: Who is Abelardo De La Espriella, Colombia’s new president?
Ans: Abelardo De La Espriella is a conservative lawyer and political newcomer who won Colombia’s 2026 presidential runoff election.
Q2: How close was Colombia’s 2026 presidential election?
Ans: The runoff was decided by less than one percentage point, with De La Espriella defeating Iván Cepeda by roughly 250,000 votes.
