Abelardo de la Espriella wins the presidential elections in Colombia, preliminary count indicates The preliminary vote count in Colombia indicates that right-wing lawyer and businessman Abelardo de la Espriella won the presidential election by a narrow margin this Sunday (21). According to data from the so-called "preconteo" released by electoral authorities, De la Espriella surpassed Senator Iván Cepeda by less than 250,000 votes. The latest update points to 12,959,515 votes for De Espriella, the far-right candidate supported by United States President Donald Trump, and 12,708,695 for the leftist Cepeda, an ally of current Colombian President Gustavo Petro. 🔎 In the Colombian election, the vote count has two stages. The first is the so-called "preconteo", a preliminary count made from polling station records used to project the result.
However, according to the country's legislation, the official result is only proclaimed after the "scrutiny", in which judges and other authorities review the records to correct any inconsistencies. ✅ Follow g1's international news channel on WhatsApp This process is scheduled to begin this Monday (22) and, in the 1st round, took two days to complete. In a video, De la Espriella celebrated his victory dressed in the Colombian national team jersey and advocated for military agreements with the United States to combat organized crime. "Today, Colombia won its most important match," he stated. Cepeda, on the other hand, gave a speech to supporters and stated that he does not treat the result as official and will wait for the scrutiny.
"With the official scrutiny, we will recognize the result." On social media, President Gustavo Petro stated that no result should be considered official until the scrutiny is completed. "No president can be proclaimed. It is the scrutiny that determines who the president is.
I obey the judges. Tranquility to the citizens, please.
Reality shows us a country split in half, and foreign interference strips us of our freedom. A national agreement is imperative if we want to maintain the homeland and peace in the years to come," Petro wrote. Colombia's National Electoral Council (CNE) reported that voting took place peacefully and was monitored by international observers. The triumph of right-winger De la Espriella represents a turning point in the country after the Petro administration, Colombia's first left-wing president in history. Right-wing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella gesticulates among supporters during the 2nd round of Colombia's presidential elections in Barranquilla, Colombia, on June 21, 2026. REUTERS/Jair Coll The businessman campaigned with an anti-establishment discourse and hardline security proposals inspired by the government of El Salvador, under President Nayib Bukele.
De la Espriella advocates for a military offensive against armed groups and drug traffickers and the construction of mega-prisons. Known by the nickname "El Tigre", the lawyer also promised to withdraw Colombia from international organizations, such as the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS). According to him, these institutions serve to promote "left-wing policies". Argentine President Javier Milei celebrated another right-wing victory in the region.
"The lion and the tiger roar in Latin America. Freedom is advancing and there is no turning back," he posted on a social network.
See the reaction. Map shows the number of votes for candidates in the 2nd round of elections in Colombia, on June 21, 2026. arte/g1 As the new president of Colombia, Espriella will join other right-wing leaders recently elected in Latin America, among them Jorge Kast in Chile and Rodrigo Paz in Bolivia. In Peru, the vote count has been dragging on for two weeks, and fellow right-winger Keiko Fujimori is ahead. Who is Abelardo de la Espriella A lawyer and businessman with no political experience, De la Espriella presents himself as an "anti-establishment savior" and promises radical spending cuts. He is a naturalized US citizen, has lived in Miami, and is a member of the Republican Party, the same as Trump. An admirer of the policies adopted by Trump and Bukele, he promises a military offensive against crime and the construction of 10 mega-prisons. "In my government, there will be no peace processes.
Criminals who do not submit will be eliminated, as permitted by law," he stated. Opinion polls point to violence as the main concern among Colombians, ahead of the economy, weakened by the pandemic and the increase in the fiscal deficit, despite the current government increasing the nominal minimum wage by 75% and reducing unemployment. Unlike Cepeda, he does not believe that the problem of remaining guerrillas and armed groups operating in the country will be solved through dialogue. The businessman also blames Petro for Colombia's economic and security problems and promises to reduce the size of the State by 40% and cut corporate taxes to promote private-sector employment. At the same time that he adopts a hardline discourse, the right-winger maintains a website called "De la Espriella Style", where he sells alcoholic beverages, books, music in which he sings, and even clothing featuring himself as a billboard model. De la Espriella has also been involved in controversies. In a TV interview, he bragged about the size of his genital organ and stated that it helped him win votes. The lawyer was also questioned for having defended Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman accused by the US government of acting as a front for Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Saab was deported to the United States in May. De la Espriella claims that his professional relationship with Saab began before the accusations arose.
According to him, the two stopped working together six years ago.
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