BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella and peace-builder Iván Cepeda were leading the vote counts in the first round of Colombia's presidential elections on Sunday, and are to face off in a presidential runoff in the South American nation later in June.
De la Espriella, a newcomer known as "El Tigre, or "The Tiger" who has sought to portray himself as a tough-on-crime supporter of President Donald Trump, is leading the race with more than 43% of the votes after nearly 98% of the ballots were counted, Colombia's electoral authorities said on Sunday night.
He fell short of the 50% of votes needed to win in the first round of voting, something that may spell trouble for his path to the presidency.
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He was tailed by Cepeda, progressive senator and an ally of outgoing President Gustavo Petro who has promised to carry on a fraught push for "total peace." Cepeda scooped up less than 41% of the vote.
