Abelardo de la Espriella leads in Colombia’s presidential election, Trump: He won, GREAT

According to the preliminary vote count, right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella has emerged with a narrow victory in Colombia’s presidential election, signaling a major shift in the country’s political orientation, as well as in its approach to security, crime, and armed conflict.

With more than 99 percent of the votes counted, de la Espriella has received about 49.7 percent, while his left-wing rival, Iván Cepeda, stands at 48.7 percent. Preliminary data give a slight edge to the candidate backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

After these results were released, Trump reacted on his social network Truth Social with the message: “He won, GREAT”

From Barranquilla, where he addressed his supporters, de la Espriella said that Colombia is entering a new phase. He promised that he would be the president of all citizens and pledged to uphold the 1991 Constitution.

“Tonight, a new chapter begins for our nation. I will govern for all Colombians, both those who voted for me and those who supported the other candidate,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iván Cepeda has not yet conceded defeat. He stressed that the preliminary count does not represent the official result and said he will wait for the verification process to be completed and the official announcement to be made before recognizing the winner.

A victory by de la Espriella is expected to bring changes to Colombia’s security policies. During the campaign, he promised a tougher line against illegal armed groups, drug trafficking, and organized crime.

In Barranquilla, his supporters greeted the result with celebrations, waving national flags to the sound of music and fireworks. Many of them wore caps bearing the slogan “Make Colombia great again,” in a direct reference to Donald Trump’s political slogan.