Right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia’s presidential runoff on Sunday, defeating left-wing Senator Iván Cepeda in a closely contested election that signals a political shift away from the government of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, as reported by Trending Politics News.

With nearly all ballots counted, de la Espriella received 49.66 percent of the vote, or approximately 12.96 million votes, compared to Cepeda’s 48.70 percent, or roughly 12.71 million votes. The margin separating the two candidates was fewer than 251,000 votes.

The result made de la Espriella the most-voted presidential candidate in Colombian history.

The runoff followed the first round of voting held on May 31, 2026. In that contest, de la Espriella secured approximately 43.7 percent of the vote while Cepeda received about 40.9 percent.

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Because neither candidate reached the 50 percent threshold required for an outright victory, the election advanced to a second round between the top two finishers.

De la Espriella, a lawyer and businessman with no previous elected political experience, campaigned as an independent under the Defenders of the Homeland banner.

His campaign focused heavily on security issues, a major concern for many Colombian voters.

Among his proposals were the construction of mega-prisons modeled after policies implemented in El Salvador, expanded military operations against drug trafficking organizations, and the use of aerial fumigation to combat coca cultivation.

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His platform also included fiscal austerity measures, investor-friendly economic policies, and conservative positions on social issues.

De la Espriella holds both U.S. and Italian citizenship and received an endorsement from President Donald Trump during the campaign. His running mate, economist José Manuel Restrepo, previously served as Colombia’s finance minister.

Cepeda, a senator aligned with the Historic Pact coalition led by outgoing President Gustavo Petro, campaigned on continuing the administration’s progressive agenda.

His platform emphasized negotiations with armed groups, expanded social programs, and institutional reforms.

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The election unfolded against a backdrop of concerns over crime, economic conditions, and security challenges that became prominent issues during Petro’s presidency.

Petro entered office in 2022 as Colombia’s first leftist president. Under Colombia’s constitution, he was prohibited from seeking another term.

During his presidency, Petro frequently clashed with the Trump administration.

Areas of disagreement included drug interdiction efforts, coca cultivation levels, U.S. deportation policies affecting Colombian nationals, and Trump’s endorsement of de la Espriella during the 2026 campaign.

Petro characterized Trump’s endorsement as outside interference in Colombia’s domestic affairs.

The outgoing president’s political history has also remained a subject of public discussion. Petro joined the 19th of April Movement, commonly known as M-19, at age 17 during the late 1970s.

The organization had Marxist influences and carried out armed actions before demobilizing through peace negotiations in 1990.

Following both the first round of voting and Sunday’s runoff, Petro repeatedly questioned the election results. After the runoff, he publicly suggested outside influences affected the outcome and explicitly blamed “Israeli meddling” for his coalition’s defeat.

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The election result continues a broader trend of right-leaning candidates finding success across parts of South America, while marking the end of Petro’s four-year administration and the beginning of a new government under de la Espriella.

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