Colombia far-right, Trump-aligned candidate wins runoff 

Abelardo de la Espriella secured the presidency of Colombia with a narrow margin over leftist rival Iván Cepeda, according to preliminary official results reported after nearly all ballots were counted. The race followed a first round that failed to produce a majority winner, forcing a runoff under Colombia’s electoral system. De la Espriella, a conservative lawyer who campaigned on a hardline security platform, had publicly emphasized his alignment with Donald Trump-style politics and received attention for his Trump-friendly messaging during the campaign period.

Abelardo de la Espriella centered his campaign on aggressive action against armed criminal groups, expanded security operations and stricter enforcement policies. His opponent, Iván Cepeda, backed continuity of outgoing leftist President Gustavo Petro’s social reforms and negotiated approaches to armed groups under the “total peace” strategy. The campaign unfolded against ongoing concerns about rural violence, drug trafficking networks and uneven economic growth.