The conservative opposition Abelardo de la Espriella and the progressive senator Iván Cepeda will compete for the presidency of Colombia in a second round, after neither of them achieved the necessary majority of votes in the elections this Sunday, the 31st.
De la Espriella obtained 43.72% of the votes, followed by Cepeda, political godson of the country’s current president, Gustavo Petro, with 40.92%, according to 99% of the preliminary count reported by the National Registry.
Both will face each other in a second round on June 21st.
An admirer of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, De la Espriella promises to end peace talks with illegal armed groups and increase military pressure in the territories where they operate.
Cepeda, candidate of the Historic Pact, said he will continue with Petro’s policies, including the “total peace” with which the outgoing president promoted talks with illegal immigrants amid criticism from opponents.
