June 22, 2026
Colombian right-wing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella has clinched a narrow victory in Sunday's presidential election, according to an initial ballot count, as voters bet on his Donald Trump-endorsed promise of a crackdown on crime and a stronger economy.
De La Espriella had 49.66% of the vote while his rival, Senator Ivan Cepeda, trailed by some 250,000 votes at 48.70%, according to the national registrar's tally of just under 100% of ballots in the runoff election.
Cepeda, 63, had pledged to maintain the policies of President Gustavo Petro, a former rebel and the country's first leftist president, including state pension payments for the poor, union-backed labour reforms, a moratorium on new oil projects, and continued peace talks with armed groups.
De La Espriella has blamed Petro for the country's economic and security troubles, including an expansion of armed groups, and vowed to end talks with rebels and criminal groups while boosting the oil and gas sector, lowering taxes and reducing the size of the state by up to 40%. He has said, however, that he will preserve Petro's 23% increase in the minimum wage, along with other popular social measures.
