Colombians voted in presidential elections on Sunday and according to preliminary results, the White House-backed conservatives appear headed for victory.
With almost 90% of ballot boxes counted, hard-right Abelardo de la Espriella took 50.5% of the vote, according to data from the National Registry Office.
Leftist rival Ivan Cepeda trailed by about 427,000 votes with 48.25% of the vote going in his favor.
Who are the frontrunners?
Abelardo de la Espriella has often portrayed himself as a tough crime fighter and has also spoken out in support of US President Donald Trump.
De la Espriella calls himself “The Tiger” and won the first round of voting in May promising to wage war against cartels and guerrilla groups.
The 47-year-old businessman’s campaign style has been compared to that of El Salvador’s right-wing President Nayib Bukele.
“Today is the most important vote in the history of Colombia,” he said as he cast his vote in Barranquilla.
Left-leaning Senator Iván Cepeda has sought the support of progressives and the poor with a promise to expand social reforms.
He is supported by current President Gustavo Petro.
Cepeda, 63, told reporters, “When we win, we will govern for the entire country, not just one region,” while his supporters chanted: “The people are with you!”
Colombia’s security challenge
Colombia has been battling the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a guerrilla movement for decades. In 2016, a historic peace agreement was signed, in which the FARC agreed to completely disarm.
However, dissident branches of the former guerrilla group are still active and are blamed for violence targeting former guerrillas and social leaders.
In 2025, authorities recorded 14,780 killings, the highest total since at least 2015 and most likely driven by clashes between illegal armed groups.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko
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