Barranquilla: Criminal defense lawyer and businessman Abelardo de la Espriella is poised to become Colombia’s next president after preliminary results showed him narrowly ahead in Sunday’s runoff election, a result that could steer the South American nation sharply to the right after four years of leftist rule.
According to Anadolu Agency, with 99.93% of ballots counted in the National Civil Registry’s preliminary pre-count system, De la Espriella of the Defensores de la Patria party secured 49.65% of the vote, compared with 48.7% for Ivan Cepeda of the ruling leftist Pacto Historico coalition. The razor-thin margin of fewer than 248,000 votes has triggered an institutional standoff, with outgoing President Gustavo Petro and Cepeda refusing to recognize the preliminary results as official amid accusations of fraud.
But De la Espriella did not wait to celebrate. Standing before thousands of supporters in the Caribbean city of Barranquilla, he declared the start of a “new era.” “The miracle nation begins today,” he said. “Petro and Cepeda, refrain from unleashing social unrest. Today Colombians elected me under the same system that elected the current occupant four years ago.”
Nicknamed “The Tiger,” De la Espriella, 47, campaigned as a political outsider and had never held elected office before launching his presidential bid. The high-profile lawyer built his campaign around promises to crack down on drug trafficking, organized crime and illegal armed groups.
Born in Bogota in 1978, De la Espriella first rose to national prominence as a criminal defense lawyer before building a business empire spanning real estate, construction-related ventures, fashion and alcohol brands. Throughout his legal career, he frequently attracted controversy for representing businessmen, politicians and former paramilitary figures accused of corruption and other crimes. Among his most prominent clients was David Murcia Guzman, founder of DMG, a company shut down over allegations that it operated as a Ponzi scheme. He also represented former Venezuelan Industry Minister Alex Saab, a close ally of former President Nicolas Maduro.
Often appearing in Colombia’s national football jersey during campaign events, De la Espriella pledged an aggressive security strategy centered on military action against guerrilla organizations, drug-trafficking networks and armed groups. His law-and-order platform has frequently drawn comparisons with the policies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, particularly his emphasis on mass incarceration and expanded security powers. De la Espriella has proposed building mega prisons and has rejected peace negotiations with armed groups, arguing that criminal organizations should be defeated rather than accommodated.
If confirmed, his victory would deal a major blow to Petro’s Total Peace policy, which relies on negotiations with guerrilla groups and criminal organizations to end Colombia’s decades-long internal conflict. Critics have expressed concern about the future of environmental protections and indigenous rights under a De la Espriella government, particularly after Petro made climate policy and protection of the Amazon rainforest central pillars of his presidency. At the same time, De la Espriella has promised to revive economic growth, attract investment and restore public security.
A De la Espriella presidency is widely expected to reset Colombia’s relations with Washington and Israel, both of which became strained under Petro. US President Donald Trump, who openly backed De la Espriella during the campaign, welcomed the preliminary result on his Truth Social platform, writing that the candidate had “won, BIG!” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also congratulated De la Espriella and said the Trump administration looked forward to working with him. De la Espriella, who also holds US citizenship, lived and worked in Miami for several years.
He has pledged to restore and deepen relations with Israel, positioning himself in sharp contrast to Petro, one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s war in Gaza among world leaders. Israeli media have described him as a strongly pro-Israel candidate, and analysts say his election could reverse the more confrontational approach adopted by the outgoing government.
Conservative leaders across the region moved quickly to congratulate De la Espriella following the preliminary result. Argentine President Javier Milei and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa both issued public statements Sunday evening congratulating De la Espriella on his victory, celebrating the continued rightward shift in South American politics.