Colombia’s far-right presidential candidate Espriella wins first round of vote ahead of runoff
Summary
Abelardo de la Espriella, a far-right lawyer and supporter of President Donald Trump, won the first round of Colombia’s presidential election with 43.7% of the vote. He will face Iván Cepeda, a left-wing senator supported by President Gustavo Petro, in a runoff on June 21.Key Facts
- Espriella received about 10.3 million votes (43.7%), while Cepeda received about 9.6 million votes (40.9%).
- Polls had shown Cepeda leading before Espriella's rapid rise.
- Rightwing candidate Paloma Valencia, once second in polls, finished with only 6.9% of the vote.
- Espriella advocates a hardline security policy, replacing Petro’s peace negotiation approach.
- He admires rightwing leaders like President Donald Trump and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele.
- Espriella is a lawyer and businessman with no prior government experience.
- He discussed border and trade issues with Ecuador’s far-right president before the vote, leading to Ecuador reducing tariffs on Colombian imports.
- The runoff election is scheduled for June 21, between Espriella and Cepeda.
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