Colombia will hold a presidential election runoff on June 21 after right-wing outsider Abelardo de la Espriella led Sunday’s first round but missed an outright majority.
De la Espriella won 43.74% of the vote, according to preliminary results from Colombia’s National Civil Registry. The authority had counted more than 99% of the ballots.
Senator Iván Cepeda, the Historic Pact candidate backed by President Gustavo Petro’s governing coalition, finished second with 40.90%.
Paloma Valencia of the Democratic Centre placed third with 6.92%. After conceding, she endorsed de la Espriella and urged voters to reject what she called the continuation of “new communism” in Colombia.
De la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer, ran on security, lower taxes, oil exploration and closer ties with the United States and Israel. He has praised US President Donald Trump.
Supporters and critics have also compared his crime rhetoric to that of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.
Cepeda, 63, pledged to extend Petro’s agenda. His campaign focused on social inclusion, agrarian reform, human rights and talks with armed groups under the government’s “total peace” strategy.
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Petro cannot seek re-election under Colombia’s constitution. However, he said he did not accept the preliminary results and would wait for the vote-counting commissions to finish their work.
The runoff will shape Colombia’s approach to Washington, drug trafficking, armed groups and Venezuela. Colombia remains a key US security partner in Latin America.
