Key facts
- Conservative Abelardo de la Espriella has won Colombia's presidential election.
- De la Espriella was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
- His platform includes canceling peace talks with rebel groups and building mega-prisons.
- He also pledged to revive hydrocarbon production and expand renewable power.
- Iván Cepeda is challenging the results, requesting a ballot check.
- China congratulated de la Espriella and expressed willingness to work with his government.
Conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella has won Colombia's presidential election, marking a significant shift towards more conservative leadership in Latin America and potentially aligning Bogota closely with the Trump administration. De la Espriella, nicknamed 'The Tiger,' secured a narrow victory over rival Iván Cepeda by approximately one percentage point, with nearly all votes counted.
Cepeda has challenged the results, requesting a review of 33,000 ballot boxes, though officials suggest this is unlikely to alter the outcome. De la Espriella's campaign focused on a tough-on-crime agenda, including proposals to cancel peace talks with rebel groups and construct mega-prisons, drawing comparisons to initiatives in El Salvador. He also pledged to boost hydrocarbon production and expand renewable energy.
De la Espriella's rapid political ascent, founding his movement less than a year ago, has been noted. China has extended congratulations and expressed a willingness to cooperate with his incoming government. His victory follows a trend of conservative leaders gaining ground across Latin America, with recent examples including Argentina's libertarian president Javier Milei, Ecuador's reelected leader Daniel Noboa, and Chile's José Antonio Kast.
In Argentina, Milei's administration has implemented austerity measures, leading to a significant reduction in inflation. Ecuador's Noboa, reelected in April 2025, has increased the military's role in combating drug trafficking, with joint operations alongside the U.S. Honduras elected Nasry Asfura, also endorsed by Trump, in November, and has since received deportees from third countries under a U.S. agreement. Chile's Kast, elected in December, has focused on border security and expelling undocumented migrants.