The preliminary count of the second round of Colombia’s presidential elections indicated, this Sunday (21), the victory of Abelardo De La Espriella (Defenders of the Homeland)far-right candidate, supported by United States President Donald Trump. According to data from “preconteo”, a quick counting system used by electoral authorities, Espriella received 12,944,441 votesagainst 12,697,154 from left-wing senator Iván Cepeda (Historic Pact), an ally of the current Colombian president, Gustavo Petro. The difference between the two candidates was below 250 thousand votes.
the official definition of the election still depends on the scrutiny process, a step provided for in Colombian legislationin which judges and other authorities review poll results. The conclusion of the definitive investigation is expected for this Monday (22).
President Gustavo Petro called for caution in light of the numbers released and stated that no candidate can be declared the winner before the end of the ballot. In a post on social media, he highlighted that he will respect the decision of the electoral authorities and stated that the scenario reveals a divided country. Petro also mentioned what he called foreign influence in the political process and defended a national agreement to preserve stability and peace in the country.
Global repercussion
Espriella’s projection of victory quickly resonated among political leaders in Latin America and the United States. Donald Trump classified the result as a “big victory” and shared reports about the election of the Colombian ally. US Secretary of State Marco Rubioalso congratulated the candidate and stated that the US government looks forward to working closely with its future administration.
In South America, Argentine President Javier Milei celebrated the result and stated that Colombians chose economic freedom, security and combating organized crime and drug trafficking. The President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboadeclared that Colombia chose “order instead of impunity”while former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe stated that Espriella should lead a process of democratic recovery in the country.
Other expressions of support came from Peruvian politician Keiko Fujimoriwhich recalled the support received from Espriella during the electoral campaign in Peru, and Venezuelan opponent Maria Corina Machadowho stated that Colombians spoke with hope and determination. In Brazil, Flávio Bolsonaro also celebrated the preliminary result and classified the Colombian candidate’s victory as a “victory of good over evil”.
