Right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella narrowly won Sunday’s run-off presidential election in Colombia, where he promised the people a crackdown on rebel groups involved in the drug trade. This follows from the almost complete results, TASR reports according to the AFP agency.
In short:
- Abelardo de la Espriella narrowly won the second round of the presidential election in Colombia
- He received 49.65 percent of the votes, while Iván Cepeda achieved 48.70 percent
- The election campaign was accompanied by bomb attacks by insurgents and threats to candidates
After the votes from more than 99 percent of the polling stations were counted, de la Espriella was leading with 49.65 percent over his leftist rival, Senator Iván Cepeda, who had 48.70 percent.
A close difference in results
Both were separated by only a few hundred thousand votes after an extremely tense campaign marked by insurgent bombings, hundreds of threats against candidates and the assassination of a leading conservative candidate.
De la Espriella, a 47-year-old businessman, lawyer and singer, has never held public office. He has dual citizenship of Colombia and the USA, describes himself as a political outsider and uses the nickname El Tigre (The Tiger). He also makes no secret of his sympathy for US President Donald Trump, who supported him, AFP reported.
Expected improvement in relations
His victory is likely to improve Bogota’s strained relations with Washington, which has provided the South American country with billions of dollars in military aid. It will also be a test for the peace process in Colombia.
De la Espriella is among other right-wing candidates who have recently come to power in Latin America. In his campaign speeches, he spoke behind bulletproof glass and promised to crack down on armed groups, including bombing narco-terrorist camps with US help.
Peace negotiations at a critical stage
Despite the government’s negotiations with guerrilla and paramilitary groups, Colombia is experiencing its worst wave of violence since 2016, when rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed a peace deal and transformed themselves into a legitimate political party after decades of armed struggle. However, thousands of rank-and-file fighters and local commanders have rejected the agreement, kept their weapons, and continue their insurgent lifestyle and organized crime.
During the four years of the government of the previous president, Gustav Petar, who could no longer run for office, unemployment fell and the minimum wage increased by 75 percent. But critics say Peter’s policies have given criminal organizations too much room.
