Less than two hours after polling stations closed on Sunday, it was clear that Colombia’s presidential race would be settled in a run-off between two finalists: hard-right political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda.Though the overall result surprised few, de la Espriella’s strong showing upended pollsters’ predictions.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listCepeda, President Gustavo Petro’s chosen successor, had been expected to win the most votes, based on public opinion surveys.But instead, de la Espriella came in first place, winning 43.74 percent of the vote. Cepeda trailed with 40.90 percent.Supporters of de la Espriella, a criminal defence lawyer, held rapturous celebrations in the coastal city of Barranquilla, where the candidate has an office.“Colombia won, and with more than 10 million votes, democracy won,” said Elsa Suarez, a de la Espriella voter living in Bogota.The far-right candidate has modelled himself after politicians like Donald Trump in the United States and Javier Milei in Argentina, flamboyant media personalities who won the presidency despite having little to no political experience.Like them, de la Espriella has pledged a return to “law and order”, as well as a pared-back national government and policies to support traditional family values.Notably, he promises to use an “iron fist” to stamp out crime and build megaprisons to jail criminals, mimicking the policies of Salvadoran strongman Nayib Bukele.Analysts say de la Espriella’s populist messaging resonated with voters in Colombia’s interior, where urban crime is a growing concern. Advertisement Electoral maps show de la Espriella besting Cepeda in 16 of the countr …
