BOGOTA: Colombian right-wing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella has clin­ched a narrow victory in Sunday’s presidential election, according to an initial ballot count, as voters bet on his Donald Trump-endorsed promise of a crackdown on crime and a stronger economy.

De La Espriella had 49.66pc of the vote while his rival, Senator Ivan Cepeda, trailed by some 250,000 votes at 48.70pc, according to the national registrar’s tally of just under 100pc of ballots in the runoff election.

Cepeda, 63, had pledged to maintain the policies of President Gustavo Petro, a former rebel and the country’s first leftist president, including state pension payments for the poor, union-backed labor reforms, a moratorium on new oil projects, and continued peace talks with armed groups.

De La Espriella has blamed Petro for the country’s economic and security troubles, including an expansion of armed groups, and vowed to end talks with rebels and criminal groups while boosting the oil and gas sector, lowering taxes and reducing the size of the state by up to 40pc. He has said, however, that he will preserve Petro’s 23pc increase in the minimum wage, along with other popular social measures.

“I will govern for all Colombians, for those who voted for me and for those who chose the other candidate,” De La Espriella told a crowd of supporters gathered in the coastal city of Barranquilla, promising to respect all citizens’ rights.

He earlier celebrated a congratulatory call from US President Donald Trump, who previously endorsed him. De La Espriella is also a citizen of the US and Italy and has homes in multiple countries. It is a victory for Colombia a change after four lost years with no clear direction, said Viviana Olivos, a 46-year-old mechanical engineer who attended the celebration.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2026