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 Data from the preliminary vote count in Colombia point to a narrow-margin victory for businessman Abelardo de la Espriella in the 2nd round of the presidential election this Sunday (21). According to the latest figures from the so-called "preconteo", De la Espriella surpassed left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, an ally of President Gustavo Petro, by less than 250,000 votes. ✅ Follow g1's international news channel on WhatsApp 👉 In the Colombian election, the count has two stages. The first is the so-called "preconteo", a preliminary count made from polling station tally sheets used to project the results.
However, according to the country's legislation, the official result is only proclaimed after the "scrutiny", in which judges and other authorities review the tally sheets to correct any inconsistencies. This process is expected to take place this Monday (22).
According to the CNE, 26 million Colombians voted, a turnout of about 63.5%. About 40 million voters were eligible to vote.
Blank votes totaled just over 426,000. Elections in Colombia: 2nd round features race between Petro's candidate and Trump-backed candidate Petro stated during the preliminary count that "no candidate can be declared president" and that it is necessary to wait for the CNE's "scrutiny". "It is the count that determines who the president is.
I obey the judges. (...) Reality shows us a country divided in half and foreign interference taking away our freedom," he said. Voting closed at 6 PM Brasília time this Sunday.
The CNE stated that the voting took place peacefully and without major incidents, with international observers, such as representatives from the OAS and the European Union. The election will define the Latin American country's course for the next four years: the continuation of a left-wing government with Iván Cepeda, or a right-wing turn with Abelardo de la Espriella. This dichotomy made the election a "tug-of-war" between current President Gustavo Petro and US President Donald Trump. If Espriella's victory is confirmed, the result could cement the wave of right-wing governments in Latin America.
This is because Colombia could join several Latin American countries that have elected right-wing governments in recent years, such as Chile, with José Antonio Kast, and Bolivia, with Rodrigo Paz. Earlier this Sunday, Petro stated that he would respect the election results — he had rejected the 1st round count. Even so, the current president called for a mobilization of the population to monitor the electoral tally sheets.
Cepeda also stated that he will respect the verdict, but spoke of conducting a "very clear, rigorous, and thorough supervision" of the count. After voting ended, Espriella stated in a video on social media that he wants to be remembered as "the rebuilder of the homeland". Supporter of Abelardo de la Espriella votes during the 2nd round of the presidential elections in Barranquilla, Colombia, on June 21, 2026. Jair Coll/ Reuters 'Tug-of-war' between left and right The current presidential election is pointed out by the Colombian press as the most antagonistic in the country's recent history: As for Cepeda, a 63-year-old philosopher and veteran senator who champions human rights, he promises to continue Gustavo Petro's political project. In the first round, he leveraged the current government's social achievements, a key factor in propelling him as the favorite in early opinion polls.
However, Petro's candidate also inherited the wear and tear of Petro's administration due to difficulties in combating organized crime. Leftist Iván Cepeda, candidate for the presidency of Colombia, votes in the 2nd round of the presidential elections in Bogotá, Colombia, on June 21, 2026. Sergio Acero/ Reuters Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer and businessman with no political experience, presents himself as an "anti-establishment savior" and echoes campaign promises of Latin American right-wing figures. He won the first round with hardline proposals to fight organized crime, cut government programs and taxes, and revitalize oil exploration.
He is also a naturalized US citizen, has lived in Miami, and is a registered Republican; Read more about both candidates' projects for Colombia. 👉 It was precisely this point that made Espriella surge in the first round of the elections. An admirer of policies adopted by Trump and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, the ultra-right candidate promises 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,” Espriella stated. Right-wing Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella displays his ballot during the country's 2nd round of presidential elections in Barranquilla, Colombia, on June 21, 2026. Ivan Valencia/AP Cepeda bet on the opposite path: he said he wants to continue peace negotiations with armed groups that have fought the State for decades — on Friday (19), to boost the promise, the Colombian government announced the surrender of weapons by about a hundred guerrillas following talks with Petro's administration. However, it was the right-wing candidate's rhetoric that resonated most with the electorate in the first round. Opinion polls have pointed to violence as the main factor of concern among Colombians, ahead of the economy — weakened by the pandemic and rising fiscal deficit, despite the current government increasing the nominal minimum wage by 75% and reducing unemployment. Espriella blames Petro for Colombia's economic and security problems and has promised to reduce the size of the State by 40%, broaden the tax base, and cut corporate taxes to promote employment in the private sector. “Security was the central issue of this campaign, which led to De La Espriella's victory in the first round,” political analyst Eduardo Pizarro told Reuters. Pizarro states that the perception of insecurity has increased in cities, including concerns about extortion and petty crime.
At the same time, the expansion of armed groups in rural areas has affected more civilians. Cepeda had led opinion polls ahead of the first round. Therefore, Espriella's victory in the first round was so surprising that Petro even contested the result, which was later recognized by Iván Cepeda. Fear of contestation and street violence Elections in Colombia: Abelardo de la Espriella (left) and Ivan Cepeda (right) Reuters The contestation heightened tensions and fueled fears that the Petro administration might challenge the results in the event of an Espriella victory.
Colombia's Electoral Tribunal asked all parties this Sunday to respect the outcome. Authorities fear that contestation of the results by either side could encourage street protests and increase episodes of violence similar to those that occurred during the electoral process. Last year, right-wing presidential candidate Miguel Uribe, one of the favorites in opinion polls up to that point, was assassinated during a campaign rally. Right-wing in Latin America Man holds stickers featuring images of the two presidential candidates in Colombia's runoff, imitating World Cup stickers, on June 4, 2026. Jose Vargas/ Reuters If De la Espriella wins, the wave that brought other far-right leaders to victory in Latin America would achieve its biggest triumph yet, isolating left-wing governments in the region and redrawing the continent's geopolitical alliances. The result could back among its main representatives Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, Javier Milei in Argentina, and José Antonio Kast in Chile. Now on g1.
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