In an election day that once again tilts the geopolitical table of Latin America towards the extreme right, Colombia has elected this Sunday the lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella as its new president. According to the first official vote count issued by the National Registry, the controversial jurist and businessman, a newcomer to politics, consolidated a victory that marks a radical political turn to the right after four years of a left-wing government. The keys to his drive have been an extremely hardline security agenda and promises of deep pro-market economic reforms.
The rise of De La Espriella represents a shock to the traditional Colombian political system, where the traditional parties have lost the scepter. Nicknamed by his supporters as The Tigerthe elected president (if the challenge of a third of the polling stations by his adversary, Iván Cepeda, does not change things) has managed to capitalize on popular discontent by presenting himself throughout the campaign as an anti-system leader.
He sells himself as a savior with the ability to reactivate an economy that he describes as “battered” and to urgently restore order in a territory hit by the violence of illegal armed groups and transnational drug trafficking networks. Easy solutions from the extreme right, which come from a man with no management experience, on the back of a newly created party with a populist name like National Salvation. “I will be the president of all Colombians,” he promises now, in a message of unity.
‘Sprint’ formidable
De La Espriella’s dizzying presidential career began to gain unusual strength at the beginning of this year, so truly “meteoric” is not an exaggeration to speak of his sprint until the elections. His narrative focused on the relentless fight against crime and organized crime quickly resonated with broad sectors of the population, allowing him to lead the electoral scene from the early stages of the process.
At the end of May, the ultranationalist delivered the first big blow at the polls by claiming victory in the first presidential round with 43.7% of the votes. By not reaching the absolute majority, the stage was set for a close runoff in which he faced the left wing of Colombian politics, represented by Senator Iván Cepeda. But he already had a first double blow: he prevailed over the lifelong right, the Uribismo of Paloma Valencia, but he was not satisfied with being second, but rose above the favorite in the polls, the leftist who was to succeed the current president, Gustavo Petro.
The second electoral round has confirmed the polarization and the enormous expectations of the country. According to the final scrutiny of the National Registry tonight, De La Espriella won the presidency by obtaining 49.66% of the valid votes, narrowly surpassing Senator Cepeda, who consolidated 48.7%. We are talking about about 250,000 votes margin (in a country of 53.9 million inhabitants), the smallest difference in history, according to Caracol Radio.
This margin of less than one point underlines the deep ideological bankruptcy and the enormous responsibility that the new ruler will assume to administer the country upon his inauguration.
Throughout the race, De La Espriella has directed his main attacks towards the outgoing administration. He directly and bluntly blames the current president, Petro, for the country’s growing economic difficulties and the deterioration in public order and citizen security indicators.
To reverse what it defines as a “structural crisis”, the Government program of the “Defenders of the Homeland” contemplates drastic and immediate measures. One of his star promises, and the one that earned him the greatest support among center and right-wing voters, is the proposal to reduce the size of the state apparatus by 40%. This drastic administrative reform will be complemented by a substantial expansion of the country’s tax base, seeking to simplify the tax burden to attract private capital while optimizing the State’s coffers.
Regarding national security and the pacification of the territory, the penal expert anticipated an absolute break with the peace policy of his predecessor. The new president announced that he will immediately put an end to all current efforts, dialogues and peace processes with illegal armed organizations and guerrilla groups. Instead, the incoming government will fully commit to a frontal and forceful military response, aimed at dismantling criminal structures through the legitimate use of State force.
A supporter of right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella holds a stuffed tiger, in reference to the far-right nickname, on June 21, 2026, in Barranquilla.
Their controversies: ‘fracking’, oil ambition…
The nationalist leader’s economic reactivation strategy will be fundamentally based on the extractive and hydrocarbon sector, an area that had experienced strong restrictions under the energy transition perspective of the outgoing Executive.
De La Espriella plans to aggressively and immediately reactivate the exploration of new oil fields in the country. Within this package of measures, the controversial decision to authorize hydraulic fracturing (popularly known as fracking), a technique that promises to generate intense environmental debates in Congress and local communities.
The objective of this energy policy is to almost double national crude oil production, bringing extraction up to 1.3 million barrels per day to finance its infrastructure and macroeconomic stabilization programs.
…financing and journalism
Throughout the race to the polls, De La Espriella firmly insisted on the total independence of his political project. According to his own statements, he financed his entire campaign himself, categorically ensuring that his movement grew organically for the citizens, completely disregarding the financial or structural support of traditional political parties or external business groups. The Reuters agency, however, points out that it has not been able to independently verify this statement.
At the same time, the details of the origin of its economic resources and the state of its corporate finances became an axis of intense public discussion. Beyond his renowned career in court (where he has represented controversial millionaires and even the front man of the former president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro), De La Espriella has built over the years an extensive and diversified business empire that encompasses wine brands, rum distillation, high-end clothing firms and extensive developments in the real estate sector.
However, a journalistic investigation published by the independent media The Empty Chair It cast shadows on the solidity of this commercial network. The investigative journalism portal discovered that a considerable part of the then candidate’s private businesses were dissolved, were carrying heavy debts or had recorded widespread financial losses during the year 2024. According to its reports, the only economic activity that remained solidly profitable was his prestigious law firm.
The investigation also revealed friction between the campaign team and the free press. According to the aforementioned media, De La Espriella spokespeople initially refused to answer specific questions posed by journalists about the candidate’s finances. However, after the article was disseminated, the campaign issued a public letter in which it harshly questioned the financing and motivations of the news portal itself. For its part, the management of La Silla Vacía flatly rejected the accusations of bias, ratifying the rigor of its coverage.
The Bukele model
At 47 years of age, Abelardo De La Espriella projects a highly calculated public image, which mixes elements of popular culture with a military aesthetic. Despite never having served in the ranks of the Military Forces, the nationalist lawyer adopted the formal military salute as his main gesture of interaction with the crowds during all his campaign rallies.
Originally from Montería (Caribbean Region), he is 47 years old, married, father of four children and defender of the traditional Christian family. In addition to Colombian, she has American and Italian nationality. A traditional vallenato singer, his sophisticated lifestyle also does not go unnoticed. He is frequently seen in public wearing high-end watches, exclusive designer sunglasses, and a meticulously groomed beard. His public figure and his heavy-handed speech of security above all else have led to comparisons with Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador. The aesthetics already exist and it seems that the ideas do too. Now we have to see if it puts into practice a model denounced internationally for its human rights violations.
Bukele, who has ironically called himself the “world’s coolest dictator,” has gained global notoriety by implementing extraordinarily repressive security policies and building maximum-security megaprisons. These measures, he defends, have managed to plummet crime rates in El Salvador to become one of the lowest in Central America, they have also buried the country under complaints of arbitrary detentions – which already exceed 90,000 people, according to AFP – and severe warnings from the main international human rights organizations.
Although De La Espriella has repeatedly denied that he tries to imitate or copy the Salvadoran model, his proposals point in a similar direction: among his priority plans is the construction of ten megaprisons in Colombian territory to massively house members of criminal gangs and organizations dedicated to drug trafficking.
Questioned clients
De La Espriella’s professional career as a trial lawyer has also been the subject of harsh attacks by the opposition during the presidential campaign. He has been severely criticized for having provided legal representation for Alex Saab, the Colombian businessman detained and prosecuted in the US on charges of money laundering for the benefit of the Venezuelan government of President Nicolás Maduro, who is believed to have been his front man.
Furthermore, judicial records show that the office of the winner of the Colombian elections has assumed the technical defense of multiple personalities linked to high-profile scandals of public corruption, embezzlement of state funds and former commanders of far-right paramilitary groups.
In the face of these persistent criticisms, the president-elect has remained firm in his doctrinal position, repeatedly stating that the free exercise of his profession and the fulfillment of the duties of the defense lawyer with his clients do not imply, under any circumstances, moral complicity, ideological affinity or the commission of any crime on his part.
When this Sunday’s victory is consolidated, the relay commissions between the teams will begin. If there are no intermediate controversies, Abelardo De La Espriella will formally assume the head of State on August 7, when he will formally take possession of his position and begin a four-year term.
