Far-right millionaire Abelardo de la Espriella wins Colombia’s presidential runoff
Summary
Abelardo de la Espriella, a far-right millionaire lawyer, has won Colombia’s presidential runoff, beating leftwing senator Iván Cepeda by a narrow margin. His victory ends four years of leftwing government under President Gustavo Petro and signals a rightward shift in Colombian politics.Key Facts
- De la Espriella received about 49.65% of the votes, narrowly defeating Cepeda who got 48.7%.
- The runoff followed a first round held three weeks earlier, where de la Espriella also led by a larger margin.
- President Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first leftwing president, was not allowed to run again and supported Cepeda.
- De la Espriella supports a tougher approach to crime and violence, promising strict military action against criminal groups.
- He has vowed to build maximum-security prisons and seek US help for airstrikes on drug crops.
- Petro claimed possible irregularities in the preliminary vote count, but gave no proof and said the official process will confirm the result.
- The election is part of a broader trend of far-right wins in Latin America.
- De la Espriella, nicknamed “El Tigre,” has never held public office before and opposes the previous government's peace negotiations with armed groups.
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