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Ione WellsBarranquilla, Colombia
BBC
Crowds celebrated connected the streets of Barranquilla
The right-wing campaigner Abelardo de la Espriella has narrowly won Colombia's statesmanlike election, according to the archetypal ballot count, marking a melodramatic displacement successful however the authorities volition tackle the country's interior equipped struggle and violence.
Espriella, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, has pledged a subject crackdown connected amerciable equipped groups, cause trafficking and crime.
He defeated the left-wing Iván Cepeda, a adjacent state of the existent president, Gustavo Petro.
Reacting to the result, helium said "today begins a caller signifier for our country, a signifier built connected the escaped and antiauthoritarian volition of millions of citizens who chose to judge successful a great, safe, prosperous Colombia afloat of opportunities."
With implicit 99% of votes counted, De La Espriella had won astir 49.7% of the vote, portion Cepeda won 48.7%.
Cepeda has not conceded, saying the preliminary number was "not yet authoritative oregon binding".
"Once the authoritative canvass takes spot and its last effect is produced, and the corresponding verifications person been carried out, we volition admit the authoritative effect that emerges from that structure."
Espriella, who was raised successful the Caribbean coastal region, enjoyed important determination enactment there.
In Barranquilla, a metropolis connected the coast, a immense assemblage of supporters gathered to observe his result. All of them donned the Colombian yellowish shot jersey and waved Colombian flags. They sang and danced to euphony from a signifier lit up with photos of Espriella's face, chanting, "stand steadfast for the homeland" and "Petro out!", earlier a fireworks display.
Some wore hats akin to Donald Trump supporters, but saying "Make Colombia Great Again!"
Trump responded to the result, penning connected Truth Social, "He Won, BIG!"
"We are bushed of the killings successful this country. And bushed of the bureaucracy of this government. We person a president from the coast!" 1 supporter, Patricia said.
"We are arrogant of The Tiger. We anticipation helium volition alteration the country, to a caller 1 wherever we tin person jobs, and much information supra everything," different protagonist said.
The polarising differences betwixt the 2 candidates has led to mounting fears that determination could beryllium unrest successful the state aft the result, particularly if immoderate critics bash not recognise the result.
Petro whitethorn situation the result. He posted connected X that "neither tin beryllium proclaimed president" aft a "pre-count result" and demanded an audit of voting software, making allegations that immoderate polling stations were "compromised" without providing evidence.
Who is Abelardo de la Espriella?
Espriella is simply a lawyer and businessman with nary anterior governmental experience, who has nicknamed himself "El Tigre" (the Tiger.)
As a lawyer his clients included Alex Saab, an state of Venezuela's ousted president Nicolás Maduro, who faces US charges of wealth laundering, and David Murcia Guzman, 1 of Colombia's biggest fraudsters. He has said this was portion of occupation arsenic a defence lawyer.
He has drawn comparisons with El Salvador's president Nayib Bukele for his information policies and adjacent the benignant of his beard.
At rallies and connected societal media, helium and his supporters often formal successful the Colombian nationalist shot jersey, which his critics impeach him of politicising, and bash military-style salutes. He has often addressed crowds down bulletproof solid screens.
Colombia's internal equipped struggle has lasted for decades, but it has escalated successful the past fewer years. Membership of equipped guerilla groups and cartels, including FARC dissidents, the ELN and the Clan del Gulfo, has doubled successful the past 5 years.
Violence has escalated arsenic they conflict implicit lucrative cocaine trafficking routes and amerciable mining sites. Last year, a brutal violative on the Colombia-Venezuela borderline displaced tens of thousands of people. Cocaine production, successful the world's largest producer, has deed a grounds high.
Critics of the existent President Petro accidental his 'total peace' strategy to prioritise dialog with equipped groups has failed, including by allowing equipped groups to instrumentality vantage of ceasefires to grow their power and territories.
Espriella has pledged to scrap immoderate negotiations with amerciable equipped groups and alternatively present a tougher subject crackdown connected equipped groups to reconstruct order, including person collaboration with the US.
He has besides vowed to physique mega-prisons successful Colombia's jungle, and to shrink the authorities and betterment the wellness system.
Espriella has been a US national since 2023 aft surviving and moving successful Miami for galore years.
He was endorsed by Donald Trump who said helium would "stop amerciable immigration, ace down connected transgression and drugs, and reconstruct LAW AND ORDER!"
Before the election, Trump added that Espriella would person the "total enactment and spot of the United States down him."
Colombia has historically been connected of the US's closest allies successful the region, but that narration was strained successful caller years owed to often fiery exchanges betwixt President Trump and President Petro who clashed implicit the US's migration policies, tariffs, and subject involution successful Latin America.
His predetermination is portion of a wider displacement successful the region, arsenic respective Latin American countries person shifted to the Right successful caller elections, driven successful peculiar by concerns astir security.
Espriella received praise from different right-wing leaders successful the portion including Argentina's president Javier Milei who said Colombians had chosen the way of "economic freedom, prosperity, unwavering security, and telling organised transnational transgression and cause trafficking ENOUGH ALREADY."
Chile's president José Antonio Kast said "a caller signifier of state begins for Colombia that volition let them to retrieve information and prosperity."
English (US)·