Colombia is heading to a presidential runoff after conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella finished first in Sunday’s election, setting up a high-stakes June 21 showdown with leftist candidate Iván Cepeda.
With more than 99 per cent of votes counted, De la Espriella secured roughly 43.7 per cent of the vote, ahead of Cepeda on 40.9 per cent, placing both candidates far beyond the reach of the remaining field.
According to betting markets, his victory now gives him an 82 percent chance of becoming the country’s next president.
JUST IN: “The Tiger” Abelardo de la Espriella wins the most votes in Colombia’s first round & advances to the presidential runoff.
82% chance he’s Colombia’s next president. pic.twitter.com/VQ8e1oe7jY
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) June 1, 2026
More than 23 million Colombians cast ballots in an election dominated by concerns over rising violence, economic instability, and dissatisfaction with the government of left-wing President Gustavo Petro.
The result marked a humiliating collapse for Colombia’s traditional conservative establishment led by former President Alvaro Uribe.
¡Vamos a derrotar la tiranía y el absolutismo!
Pasamos a segunda vuelta gracias a los más de 10 millones de colombianos que respondieron al rugido.
¡En 21 días haremos historia!
Los espero en el cubo de cristal del Malecón del Río, para celebrar juntos esta victoria.
Hoy más… pic.twitter.com/wf7ANOusVZ
— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) May 31, 2026
The candidate for the Democratic Center, Paloma Valencia, secured less than seven per cent of the vote before quickly endorsing De la Espriella ahead of the runoff.
A respected lawyer, De la Espriella, campaigned on a hardline law-and-order platform while promising sweeping economic reforms and a crackdown on Marxist terror groups that have expanded their influence under Petro’s presidency.
BREAKING: Trump-like right wing presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella WINS Colombia’s election round 1, getting MORE VOTES than the leftist despite trailing the polls He’s going FULL NAYIB BUKELE: “Under my government, any bandit who resists will be eliminated as… pic.twitter.com/5Mgp9Jtbtd
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 31, 2026
He has frequently expressed admiration for President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei.
Following the result, Milei congratulated De la Espriella on X, declaring that the outcome reflected “the desire for liberty and progress of the Colombian people.”
LA LIBERTAD AVANZA
Quiero felicitar a @ABDELAESPRIELLA por su triunfo en la primera vuelta de las elecciones de Colombia, y a los colombianos por esta ejemplar jornada electoral.
Este resultado refleja el anhelo de libertad y progreso del pueblo colombiano, y una voluntad…
— Javier Milei (@JMilei) June 1, 2026
Speaking to supporters in Barranquilla after his first-round victory, De la Espriella vowed to “defend democracy with reason or with force” and warned that Colombia could not continue down its current path under leftist leadership.
Meanwhile, far-left President Gustavo Petro refused to accept the preliminary vote count, alleging irregularities in the electoral process without providing evidence.
Cepeda also declined to formally recognise the result, telling supporters in Bogotá that “we will not hand Colombia over to fascism.”
A De la Espriella victory would likely lead to improved relations with the United States, after multiple clashes between Petro and Trump since he returned to office last January.
The runoff now sets the stage for one of the most consequential elections in modern Colombian history.
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