Pro-Trump Candidate Pulls Ahead in Colombia Presidential Vote as Ruling Party Sows Doubt in Results
Official counts put Cepeda at 41% and de la Espriella at 44%, leaving neither candidate with the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
- On Sunday, Colombia's presidential race headed to a runoff after Cepeda and Aberaldo de la Espriella both fell short of the 50% threshold needed to win outright, with de la Espriella capturing 44% and Cepeda securing 41%.
- The election serves as a referendum on Colombian President Gustavo Petro's policies, occurring 10 years after the historic peace pact with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, as violence has resurged nationwide.
- Espriella, known as "The Tiger," promises a crackdown on criminal groups using policies similar to President Nayib Bukele, while Cepeda advocates for continuing the government's fraught "Total peace" negotiations.
- Following the results, Cepeda and Colombian President Gustavo Petro claimed without evidence that the election was manipulated, with Cepeda stating he is waiting for electoral authorities to scrutinize the count before accepting.
- In 21 days, the runoff election will occur, marking a critical juncture as voters across Latin America increasingly pivot toward candidates promising heavy-handed security crackdowns to address rising violence.
38 Articles
38 Articles
The Korea Times
Pro-Trump candidate pulls ahead in Colombia presidential vote as ruling party sows doubt in results
BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Tough-on-crime outsider Aberaldo de la Espriella took the lead in Colombia's presidential race in the first round of voting Sund...
Thorold Today
Cepeda, ally of Colombia's president, questions vote result after falling behind pro-Trump candidate
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Iván Cepeda, an ally of Colombia’s outgoing President Gustavo Petro , refused to immediately accept the result of the first round of voting after falling behind tough-on-crime outsider Aberaldo de la Espriella in Sunday's ele
Sunday's result marks a blow for Cepeda, 63, who had hoped to win in the first round by securing more than half of the votes.
In the first ballot in Colombia, De la Espriella leads ahead of Cepeda. Now the final election is to be decided. The situation in Bogotá is getting worse.
Political figures and institutions reject the candidate's pronouncement, who will contest the second round with Abelardo de la Espriella.
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