Trump-backed Colombia candidate vows closer US ties
(FILES) Colombia's presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, of the Salvadores de la Patria movement, greets supporters as he votes at a polling station during the presidential election in Barranquilla, Colombia, on May 31, 2026. (AFP)
Colombia’s hard-right presidential frontrunner on June 2 promised much closer ties with the United States after receiving the backing of President Donald Trump.
Abelardo de la Espriella, a millionaire lawyer campaigning as a tough-on-crime outsider, said relations with Washington would be “like never before” if he defeats leftist senator Ivan Cepeda in a June 21 runoff.
De la Espriella was the surprise winner of the first round of the presidential election on May 31, held against the backdrop of a surge in drug-related guerrilla violence.
