Who is Abelardo de la Espriella, the far‑right Trump fan who could lead Colombia?
Summary
Abelardo de la Espriella, a far-right lawyer and businessman who supports U.S. President Donald Trump, led the first round of Colombia’s presidential election with nearly 44% of the vote. He has promised a strong military approach against armed groups in Colombia, including building mega-prisons and seeking U.S. help for air strikes.Key Facts
- Abelardo de la Espriella is a far-right criminal defense attorney and businessman in Colombia.
- He received just under 44% of votes in the first round of Colombia’s 2026 presidential election.
- His main opponent, Ivan Cepeda, a leftist senator with about 41% of the vote, supports dialogue with armed groups.
- De la Espriella supports U.S. President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s hardline crime policies.
- He promises to launch a new military offensive against armed groups involved in drug trafficking and violence.
- De la Espriella plans to build 10 large prisons called mega-prisons across Colombia.
- He wants to restart aerial spraying of weedkiller on coca fields, despite past health concerns about this practice.
- His rise follows a decline in support for another right-wing candidate, Paloma Valencia, who got under 7% of the vote.
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