Colombia has elected a new president, and the result has the potential to transform the country for the long term. According to preliminary results, far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella has won the presidential runoff by a narrow margin with 49.66% of the vote, edging out the left-wing ruling party candidate Ivan Cepeda, who received 48.7%.
The margin of about 250,000 votes is the narrowest in the history of Colombian presidential elections.
De la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer, entrepreneur and political newcomer, will succeed Gustavo Petro, the country's first left-wing president. For Colombia, this will likely mean a significant shift to the right and a departure from key initiatives of the previous administration, particularly in the areas of peace, security, energy and social policy. At the same time, de la Espriella is taking over a country that is politically deeply divided.Supporters of Colombia's incoming right-wing President Abelardo De La Espriella celebrated the result while others took to the streets Image: Charlie Cordero/REUTERS
No social consensus
The actual takeaway from this election lies less in the result than in the narrow margin between the candidates: Nearly half of the voters supported Petro's current course, while the other half favored a fundamental change in direction.
