With a strident style, tailored suits or nationalist tracksuits and relentless “iron fist” rhetoric, far-right criminal lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella has burst onto the Colombian political scene. Popularly known as The Tigerit is outsider has managed to capitalize on social discontent and the fear of insecurity, consolidating a surprising advance, first, in the polls and, last night, in the first round of the presidential elections: it has won with 43.74% of the votes, taking almost 700,000 ballots from Iván Cepeda, the leader of the left and favorite of the elections, who has remained at 40.9%.
Both will now have to face each other in a second round, on June 21, which is expected to be a dog’s race because, to begin with, the current president of the country, Gustavo Petro, from Cepeda’s party, does not recognize the results, pointing to the software used to count votes, which for several months he has questioned for being managed by private companies. He asks that we wait for the second count, which is done today, to consider the data definitive.
While the ballots are being cleared, all the spotlight falls on Abelardo de la Espriella (Bogotá, July 31, 1978), an unknown person with no experience who already looks like a president, according to his message last night. His meteoric rise not only challenges the establishment traditional of the country, but also opens the debate on the expansion of the authoritarian and punitive model in the region, when the ultra victories are replicated in Latin America, from Nayib Bukele in El Salvador (a model that the Colombian replicates in his program and even in his physique and way of dressing), to José Antonio Kast in Chile, to Javier Milei in Argentina, for example. “It’s not about labels like left or right, but about what common sense dictates (…). We are recovering our sanity,” he defends.
He constantly talks about God and his designs, appears in the tracksuit of the Colombian soccer team or goes to the extreme, like for a wedding. He has incited fear of an attack, which is why he has always appeared in the campaign wearing a bulletproof vest and behind a screen (although it is true that political violence kills in Colombia). And he has worked hard, analysts say: he visited the 32 provinces of Colombia, in a kind of gigantic door-to-door approach. And that was liked. Populism, it’s called.
Before presenting himself as the savior of the country, De la Espriella was famous in Colombia for being the lawyer of the most controversial causes and the most opulent clients. In court he defended highly controversial figures, such as the Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab. Arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 and subsequently imprisoned in the United States on bribery charges, he was part of a prisoner exchange for the release of Americans detained in Venezuela in 2023. According to some reports, Saab is currently detained in Caracas and will be extradited to the United States.
Another shadow is that of David Murcia Guzmán, the mastermind of the largest financial pyramid known in the country through DMG Grupo Holding SA. He was arrested in 2008, extradited to the United States, where he served a sentence for money laundering, and later returned to Colombia to serve another sentence.
Unlike traditional politicians, he does not hide his immense wealth, but rather displays it as one of his greatest virtues. His campaign slogan, in fact, has followed that line: “Colombia, country of owners.” Travel on private jets, suits designed exclusively in Italy, luxury restaurants and own brands of wine and rum premium They are part of his personal seal. Being rich is smart, that’s their message.
For his followers, his business success is proof that he knows how to manage a nation’s resources, even though he knows nothing about public management. For its critics, it is the reflection of a frivolous and dangerous opulence and a warning of a forgetfulness of the social causes that have been a pillar in the legislature of the leftist Gustavo Petro.
Admiration for Nayib Bukele
The fundamental pillar of De la Espriella’s campaign has been security, openly inspired by the policies of the president of El Salvador, Bukele, who is systematically denounced by the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for his human rights violations. A cloudy mirror, far beyond the knob.
Last night’s winner proposes to permanently militarize critical areas of the country, completely restructure institutional agreements and radically make the use of weapons for citizens’ self-defense more flexible. Talking to the guerrillas is not part of their electoral program, despite the fact that the path begun in 2016 even led to the Nobel Peace Prize and that it has been the most successful route, with all its loopholes. He says that does not fit into his vision of “order and progress.”
In a recent and massive digital broadcast with the popular streamer Westcol, the far-right candidate, made his position clear on civilian arms control: “Whoever demonstrates physical and psychological suitability will be able to carry a weapon in the age of the tiger.” This statement set off alarm bells in various human rights sectors, which warn of the risks of possible urban paramilitarization.
Furthermore: his government plan – under the “Defenders of the Homeland” movement – includes the definitive closure of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and tight control over the funds of the public health system.
Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, with his candidate for vice president, José Manuel Restrepo, in Cali (Colombia), on March 13, 2026.
“The first thing we have to do to regain control of security is to eradicate coca crops using different means, including fumigation. Cocaine is our worst cancer,” said the candidate for Americas Quarterly in an interview last week. De La Espriella wants the country to strengthen its ties with the United States, being as he is a total admirer of Donald Trump (and of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Silvio Berlusconi, Georgia Meloni and Álvaro Uribe, if you ask him about someone from home). They want to approach Washington both to combat drug trafficking and to promote investment. “I totally agree with Trump’s interdiction measures because, for them as well as for us, drug trafficking is a matter of national security,” he added in this medium.
Despite his “law and order” rhetoric, the criminal’s past remains his greatest flank of attack. His former client, David Murcia Guzmán, has publicly accused him of alleged financial irregularities and influence peddling in Congress during his years of legal defense, accusations that De la Espriella strongly denies.
Furthermore, analysts and political strategists such as Ángel Becassino point out that the candidate is a “living spectacle”, perfectly molded for the era of digital distraction and extreme polarization, explains the BBC. Stories from his childhood, broadcast on open television, where he lightly admitted having committed acts of cruelty against animals, have fueled doubts about his psychological temper to assume the head of state.
Peculiar to say the least
The candidate and favorite for the second round is a peculiar guy, to say the least: he has triple nationality (Colombian, American and Italian) and currently resides in Miami (USA) with his wife and four children. He always shows off that God gave him a large family. Although he was born in Bogotá, he publicly identifies as “costeño”, a term used to designate people from the Caribbean region of Colombia. That has also helped him in the campaign, where the capital is not necessarily a thermometer of the rest of the nation.
Despite having a permanent security scheme -implemented after the assassination last year of senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay-, De La Espriella maintains close interaction with citizens on public roads. Their communication is characterized by the use of humor, frankness and, sometimes, colloquial or foul language.
Additionally, he shows a strong interest in music and dance, having produced three music albums. His clothing usually includes high-end clothing and watches and several years ago he ventured into the commercial sector with the launch of his own fashion brand, called De La Espriella Style.
On a business and professional level, De La Espriella defines life under the analogy of a boxing match. As the founder of a high-billing law firm, he has consolidated an economic asset that includes, among other assets, a private plane. People close to him describe him in the local press as a lawyer and implacable adversary, highlighting his marketing skills over discretion. It sounds like Trump, to the extent. The candidate himself has repeatedly stated that one of the most satisfying aspects of his life is generating the envy of his opponents. He wears it with pride.
Far-right lawyer and presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, dancing in the southern city of Popayán (Colombia), on May 3, 2026.
A polarized country facing the runoff
After obtaining a resounding 43.7% of the votes in the first round, the Colombian electoral map shows a deep geographical and ideological division. While The Tiger comfortably dominating the coastal regions and the conservative sectors of the center of the country, Bogotá remains firm as the main stronghold of its leftist rival, Iván Cepeda.
Faced with the opposition’s fears that De la Espriella will try to remain in power or weaken the institutions through a constituent assembly, the candidate has tried to moderate his speech towards the undecided, ensuring that his project is independent and limited in time: “The other candidates have guardians, but I am independent. (…) If for some reason I lose against Cepeda, I will be the head of the opposition, I would never leave the country.” President Petro himself has not been able to run for re-election because, constitutionally, it is impossible, a president can only serve one term.
Colombia now faces a crossroads. On June 21, citizens will have to choose between the continuity of a progressive institutional model or the bold and unpredictable promise of absolute order that Abelardo de la Espriella embodies. The polls ahead of this second round They are overwhelming today for the ultra: they take 20 points on average over their opponent. It’s time to wait.
