Trump fan, leftist lawyer to contest runoff in Colombia
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BOGOTA: Right-wing Colombian pro-Trump lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella and leftist senator Ivan Cepeda will head to a June presidential runoff after Sunday’s tight vote, in a contest so far dominated by voter concerns over security and the economy, to which each candidate has offered populist solutions.
The two men were close in vote tallies in the first round of the contest, with De La Espriella, who has never held elected office, notching nearly 44 percent support and Cepeda, a long-time senator and activist, just under 41pc. The 670,000 vote difference suggests a tough second round for Cepeda, particularly after the third-place finisher endorsed De La Espriella. De La Espriella’s personal style and policy proposals — including tough rhetoric against illegal armed groups and the promise to build 10 megaprisons — have drawn comparisons to El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele.
I am ready to fight the final battle. I am ready for a second round in which this miraculous homeland and its supporters will prevail,” he said from a stage set up on a large boat on the Magdalena River in Barranquilla, where he maintains a residence.
Markets reacted positively to De La Espriella’s performance, with the Colombian peso rising 3.5pc to 3,559 to the US dollar on Monday, its largest daily rise in four years.
The country’s stock market gained 5.5pc, while shares of state-run oil company Ecopetrol rose 10pc in trading in New York. International bonds for 2042 rose 3 cents.
“This is going to end up being positive for the market. One could expect some appreciation in public debt, an exchange rate that might appreciate, and of course, there could also be some value in the stock market,” said David Cubides, chief economist at Banco de Occidente.
The 47-year-old De La Espriella, his wife and four young children also have homes in Miami and Italy. He has warned that Cepeda would ensure the continuation of President Gustavo Petros economic policies, including a ban on new oil projects, much criticised by establishment politicians and investors. The lawyer has pledged poverty reduction through better education, healthcare and housing for the poorest.
Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2026
