Far Right Outsider Advances in Colombia’s Presidential Election

Colombia’s presidential election has moved to a runoff, marked by the advancement of a far-right candidate. This development points to a potential advance in the right-wing trend seen across Latin America, according to early official results.

The candidate in question, Abelardo de la Espriella, is set to face Iván Cepeda in the runoff. Cepeda belongs to the left-wing party of the current president, Gustavo Petro.

De La Espriella rose to prominence late in the campaign, reflecting the style of new populist leaders in Latin America. He shares a hard stance on crime similar to that of El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and expresses intent to apply similar measures to combat drug trafficking.

With over 99 percent of the votes tallied, results from the national civil registry showed a polarized electorate. De La Espriella secured 43.73 percent of the votes, while Cepeda received 40.91 percent. A runoff is scheduled for June 21 since no candidate achieved over 50 percent.

President Petro expressed his reservations about the preliminary outcome on Sunday night, stating he will await the official vote count before accepting the results.

Cepeda, known for his human rights advocacy, maintains the strong support base for Petro’s political vision. This vision aims to advocate for the impoverished and marginalized communities often excluded from governmental decision-making. Petro’s presidency is restricted to a single term.