Far-right lawyer De La Espriella wins Colombia’s tight presidential race
Summary
Abelardo De La Espriella, a far-right lawyer, has won Colombia’s presidential run-off election by a narrow margin against left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda, with 99.9% of votes counted. De La Espriella promises to end peace talks with rebel groups and focus on the oil and gas sector, while Cepeda challenges the results and supports continuing social policies and negotiations with armed groups.Key Facts
- De La Espriella won 49.7% of the vote; Cepeda received 48.7%, with almost all votes counted.
- Cepeda supports continuing President Gustavo Petro’s social programs and peace talks with armed groups.
- De La Espriella plans to stop peace talks, boost oil and gas, and lower taxes.
- De La Espriella is a lawyer with no prior political experience and holds citizenship in Colombia, the US, and Italy.
- The election marks a return to right-wing leadership in Colombia, which has mostly been governed by the right in past centuries.
- De La Espriella received congratulations from US President Donald Trump.
- Cepeda’s campaign is contesting the results in about 33,000 ballot boxes.
- Security, drug trafficking, and violence remain major issues influencing voters.
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