Polling station officials count votes on Election Day in Medellin, Colombia,on May 31. Conservative businessman Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Sen. Iván Cepeda will face off in a runoff to determine the country's next president on Sunday. File Photo by Stringer/EPA
June 19 (UPI) -- Colombia will hold one of its most polarized presidential elections in recent years on Sunday as conservative businessman Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Sen. Iván Cepeda face off in a runoff that will test the next government's ability to address fiscal pressures, political fragmentation and security challenges.
More than 40 million Colombians are eligible to vote to choose the successor to President Gustavo Petro in a contest between two sharply different political projects.
De la Espriella, a lawyer and businessman running alongside former Finance Minister José Manuel Restrepo, has campaigned on a right-leaning platform focused on security, fighting crime and strengthening ties with the United States.
Cepeda, whose running mate is Indigenous leader Aída Quilcué, has pledged to continue much of Petro's agenda, advocating a stronger state role in the economy and an emphasis on social reforms.
