A political outsider backed by Trump wins Colombia’s election, preliminary counts show
Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella has narrowly won Colombia’s presidential election, the first vote count shows a major change in how the government will deal with conflict and internal violence in the country.
De la Espriella, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, has promised to deal with illegal armed groups, drug trafficking and crime.
He appeared to defeat the leftist Iván Cepeda, who is close to the president, Gustavo Petro.
De la Espriella said “today we are starting a new stage for our country, a stage built on the democracy of millions of citizens who have chosen to believe in a great, safe, prosperous Colombia full of opportunities”.
With more than 99% of the votes counted, de la Espriella received almost 49.7% of the votes, while Cepeda received 48.7%, according to preliminary election results.
Cepeda has not yet agreed, saying that the first figure is “not yet official or binding”.
“Once the official campaign has taken place and its final result has been released, and the corresponding verification has been done, we will see the official result from that building.”
The verification process showed little difference in the first count in the first round of voting on May 31, Reuters news agency reported.
De la Espriella, who grew up in the Caribbean coastal region, enjoyed significant regional support there.
After the first vote count, de la Espriella addressed a large crowd of supporters who had gathered to celebrate in Barranquilla, a coastal city.
“Tonight marks the beginning of a new story in the nation, tonight begins a new era, a change of order,” said De la Espriella, who has nicknamed himself “El Tigre” (The Tiger.)
“I will rule all the people of Colombia. Those who voted for me, and those who chose another party.”
He also pledged loyalty to the country’s 1991 constitution and said he would protect it.
De la Espriella’s fans wore yellow soccer jerseys and waved Colombian flags. They sang and danced to music on a stage illuminated with pictures of de la Espriella’s face, chanting, “Stand strong for your country” and “Petro out!”, before a fireworks display.
Some wore hats similar to supporters of US President Donald Trump, but said “Make Colombia Great Again!”
Trump responded to the result, writing on Truth Social: “You won, BIG!”
“We are tired of the killing of people in this country. And we are tired of the management of this government. We have a president from the coast!” one supporter, said Patricia.
“We are proud of The Tiger. We hope it will change the country, a new one where we can find jobs, and security above all,” said another supporter.
Cepeda’s fans were also on the streets of Barranquilla, expressing their concern for the decisive victory.
“There is a palpable sense of unease in the air,” Catalina La Grande, a student and activist who supports Cepeda, told the BBC.
“Such a measure worries us, because it shows how divided the country is and the major challenges we face in protecting democracy, peace and human rights.”
Maria, another young person who supports Cepeda, said that the results show that the country is divided but said that people should live in peace.
“There have never been any incidents of violence on the streets, which is good considering the level of racism we are facing,” he said.
The disagreement between the candidates has led to increased fears that there may be chaos in the country after the result, especially if some critics do not see the result.
Late Sunday, there were reports of clashes between protesters and police in Colombia’s third-largest city, Cali, with protesters burning American flags and police using tear gas to disperse large crowds angry at de la Espriella’s win.
Petro may challenge the result. He wrote in X that “he too will not be declared president” after the “pre-counting result” and demanded that the voting software be investigated, alleging that some polling stations were “compromised”, without providing evidence.
