Key facts
- Colombia's presidential runoff features candidates Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella, both with ties to paramilitary groups.
- De la Espriella, a far-right candidate, previously defended paramilitary leaders.
- Cepeda is a human rights activist who has exposed paramilitary crimes.
- Violence has surged in Colombia, making the past year the most violent since the 2016 peace agreement.
- De la Espriella supports a hardline approach to crime, while Cepeda backs a 'total peace' strategy.
- US Congress members have raised concerns about De la Espriella's alleged links to the AUC.
Colombia's upcoming presidential runoff vote is cast under the shadow of the country's history with far-right paramilitaries, with both leading candidates, Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella, having complex ties to these groups.
De la Espriella, a 47-year-old far-right candidate and admirer of Donald Trump, built his legal career defending paramilitary leaders. He advocates for a return to aggressive military confrontation to combat the surge in violence. His past associations have drawn scrutiny, with eleven members of the US Congress urging an examination of his alleged ties to the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), which Washington designated a foreign terrorist organization.
Cepeda, a 63-year-old leftwing senator, has dedicated his career to human rights activism, exposing the crimes of paramilitary groups. His father was assassinated by army officers linked to a paramilitary group. Cepeda is a key architect of the current president's 'total peace' strategy, which proposes negotiations to dismantle all armed groups. He has filed a criminal complaint against De la Espriella, alleging he acted as a 'possible recruiter' for the AUC.
Paramilitary groups emerged in the 1960s to combat leftwing guerrillas and became deeply involved in drug trafficking by the 1980s. They gained notoriety in the 1990s for massacres and extreme violence against communities. The AUC officially demobilized, but its former members founded the powerful Gulf Clan.
Supporters of De la Espriella are drawn to his promises of a tough stance on crime, including building 'mega-prisons.' However, security experts note that the country's reality remains shaped by drug trafficking, and the past year has been the most violent since the 2016 peace agreement, leading many Colombians to feel a return to the country's 'worst moments.' De la Espriella has dismissed accusations regarding his paramilitary ties as a 'smokescreen' and accused Cepeda of a 'narco-political' alliance.