Who is Abelardo de la Espriella, president-elect in preliminary count in Colombia Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer and businessman with no political experience, won the preliminary count for president of Colombia this Sunday (21). Espriella, considered far-right, surpassed the left-wing senator Iván Cepeda by less than 250,000 votes. In a video, de la Espriella celebrated the victory dressed in the Colombian national team jersey and defended agreements with the United States to combat organized crime.
"Today, Colombia won its most important game," he stated.
The final vote count is expected to take place this Monday (22). If his victory is confirmed, Espriella will assume the presidency on August 7. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Abelardo De La Espriella Charlie Cordero/Reuters Who is Abelardo de la Espriella? Nicknamed "El Tigre", Espriella was born in Bogotá in 1978.He is married to Ana Lucía Pineda Aruachan and has four children. Abelardo is a vallenato singer, traditional folk music from the region.
The businessman won over the electorate by presenting himself as an "anti-establishment savior" and repeated campaign promises of far-right names in Latin America. He won the first round with hardline proposals to combat organized crime, cut government programs and taxes, and revitalize oil exploration.
Espriella founded De La Espriella Lawyers Enterprise, a corporate law firm known in the country. Besides being a lawyer, Abelardo owns a vast business empire that includes wine, rum, clothing, and real estate. Abelardo de la Espriella wins presidential elections in Colombia, preliminary count shows Espriella has been criticized for legally representing Alex Saab, who faces charges in the US of money laundering for former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
He also represented people linked to corruption scandals, embezzlement, and right-wing paramilitaries, and claims that his professional relationships as a lawyer do not involve any complicity or crime. The triumph of the right-winger de la Espriella represents a turn in the country after the Petro government, the first left-wing president in Colombia's history. Abelardo is affiliated with the National Salvation Movement (MSN), a far-right Colombian political party founded in 1990 by Álvaro Gómez Hurtado, assassinated by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 1995. Espriella is also a naturalized citizen of Italy and the USA, has lived in Miami, and is affiliated with the Republican Party, the same as Trump. An admirer of the policies adopted by Trump and the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, the ultra-right candidate promised a military offensive 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,” stated Espriella during the campaign. Right-wing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella gestures among supporters during the 2nd round of Colombia's presidential elections in Barranquilla, Colombia, on June 21, 2026. REUTERS/Jair Coll The right-wing candidate's discourse was what resonated most with the electorate in the first round. Opinion polls have been pointing to violence as the main factor of 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. Espriella blames Gustavo Petro, the country's current president, for Colombia's economic and security problems and promised to reduce the size of the State by 40%, expand the tax base, and cut corporate taxes to promote employment in the private sector. Among the symbols used by the businessman during the campaign is the Colombian national team shirt, which also became a symbol of the right in the country.
Many of his supporters voted in the first round wearing shirts with the names of national team stars, such as James Rodríguez and Luis Díaz. Although not a military man, every time Espriella finishes an intervention, he brings his right hand to his brow, lowers it quickly, and shouts: "Firm for the fatherland!". This served as inspiration for supporters to salute as a greeting. Supporter of Espriella brings a stuffed tiger to a rally. Reuters/Cesar Quiroz Regarding being called "El Tigre", the politician's website says the nickname arose from a statement by former president Álvaro Uribe, who governed between 2002 and 2010.
The leader of the Colombian right, who supports the ultra-rightist after his party's defeat in the first round, stated in 2024 that Colombia needed "a tiger" or "a tigress" in the Presidency. Espriella took the image of the feline as his own, as did the Argentine president, Javier Milei, with the lion, and the American, Donald Trump, with the American bald eagle. Uribe celebrated the preliminary result on social media. "We are sure that Dr. De la Espriella will lead a government of democratic recovery, useful for all Colombians," published Vélez. Milei also celebrated another victory for the right in Latin America.
"Freedom is advancing throughout Latin America and there is no turning back," he posted on a social network. The president of Ecuador and ally of Trump, Daniel Noboa, also congratulated the businessman. Espriella also claimed to have been congratulated by the President of the United States, Donald Trump. Far-right candidate wins election in Colombia, preliminary count shows Result only on Monday (22) On social media, President Gustavo Petro stated on Sunday night that no result should be considered official until the scrutiny is concluded. 🔎 In the Colombian election, the count has two stages.
The first is the so-called "preconteo", a preliminary count made from the minutes of the polling stations used to project the result. But, according to the country's legislation, the official result is only proclaimed after the "scrutiny", in which judges and other authorities review the minutes to correct any inconsistencies. The election became a "tug-of-war" between the country's current president, Gustavo Petro, and US President Donald Trump. Cepeda was the candidate supported by Petro, while the ultra-rightist Espriella had declared support from the North American leader. "No president can be proclaimed.
It is the scrutiny that determines who is the president. I obey the judges.
Tranquility to the citizens, please. Reality shows us a country split in half, and foreign interference takes away our freedom.
A national agreement is imposed if we want to maintain the fatherland and peace in the years to come," wrote Petro. Elections in Colombia: Abelardo de la Espriella (left) and Ivan Cepeda (right) Reuters Cepeda had led the voting intention polls before the first round. Therefore, Espriella's victory in the first round was so surprising that Petro even contested the result, later recognized by Iván Cepeda. In the first round, Cepeda obtained 41% of the votes, while de la Espriella won 44%, according to official results. The election result should cement the wave of right-wing governments in Latin America. This is because Espriella joins several Latin American countries that have elected right-wing governments in recent years, such as in Chile, with Jorge Kast, and Bolivia, with Rodrigo Paz. The National Electoral Council (CNE) said that the voting took place peacefully and without major incidents, and with international observers, such as representatives of the OAS and the European Union. The Electoral Court of Colombia asked this Sunday that all parties respect a result. Read more about the projects of the two candidates for Colombia. Right in Latin America Man holds stickers with images of the two candidates for president in the second round of Colombia, imitating World Cup stickers, on June 4, 2026. Jose Vargas/ Reuters De la Espriella's victory confirms the wave that led other right-wing leaders to victory in Latin America and would achieve its greatest triumph so far, isolating left-wing governments in the region and redrawing the continent's geopolitical alliances. The result backs a movement that has, among its main representatives, Nayib Bukele, in El Salvador, Javier Milei, in Argentina, and José Antonio Kast, in Chile.
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