Bogota, Colombia —
Right-winger Abelardo De la Espriella, who was endorsed by US President Donald Trump, was formally declared the winner of Colombia’s presidential runoff election late Wednesday, according to the country’s National Electoral Council.
Leftist candidate Iván Cepeda conceded in a statement earlier Wednesday, saying “he decided to accept the result that emerges from this process, which indicates that Abelardo de la Espriella is the new president of the Republic.”
Cepeda, from the ruling Pacto Histórico party, said he decided to concede to “contribute to coexistence, peace and dialogue.” He added that his concession “does not mean renouncing the truth or remaining silent in the face of events we consider serious and that marked this presidential campaign.”
Cepeda criticized what he saw as foreign interference in Sunday’s election from Trump and claimed that voters were manipulated by content made with AI.
