He elected president of Colombiathe rightist Abelardo de la Espriellacelebrated the beginning of a “new era” in the country after defeating the candidate of the left, who was governing for the first time, in the closest runoff in history.
The jurist, 47 years old and with no political experience, defeated pro-government senator Iván Cepeda, an ally of President Gustavo Petro, by less than one percentage point, when the country is going through the worst wave of violence in the last decade.
Backed by donald trumphis victory was met with protests in cities such as Bogotá and Cali where demonstrators burned American flags and set up barricades.
Behind a bulletproof glass case, the lawyer celebrated the beginning of a “new history for the nation.”
Read more: Noboa congratulates De la Espriella and points out that Colombia chose “order over impunity”
“New era”
“A new era begins, a change of order, the homeland miracle,” he said in the Caribbean Barranquilla during his first speech before thousands of supporters after arriving in a vehicle similar to a popemobile.
The official preliminary count shows him the winner with 49.6% of the votes, above Cepeda who achieved 48.7%.
De la Espriella, of Colombian and American nationality, defeated the left that sought to agree on peace with all armed groups.
“To those who have sown violence, terror, drug trafficking and corruption during all these years, their time is up,” added the lawyer, who will govern until 2030 and who calls himself “El Tigre.”
Read more: De la Espriella says that “there will be no persecution” against those who think differently
A call from Trump
Cepeda assured that he will not accept defeat before the final count, which will take a few days, and that he will challenge 33,000 polling stations with which he hopes to reverse the result.
“We are not going to support this government,” said Brandon, a 19-year-old student who took to the streets to protest in Bogotá. “It does not represent me as a young person. We are going to see many more” demonstrations, he added.
De la Espriella assured that the president of the United States expressed “his support” in a call.
Read more: De la Espriella says that Trump recognized his victory in the Colombian elections
Later, Trump posted on the Truth Social network the message “He won, BIG!” with a photograph of the elected president. Countries with right-wing governments close to Trump such as Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Ecuador also sent him congratulations.
De la Espriella’s speech in favor of Washington, law enforcement and businessmen is similar to that of other leaders in the region such as that of the Salvadoran Nayib Bukele or the Argentine Javier Milei.
“Very nervous”
De la Espriella is the target of criticism for his frequent sexist and homophobic comments and for representing paramilitaries and drug traffickers as a lawyer.
In an interview with AFP, the president-elect said that he will seek the support of the United States and Israel to attack the guerrillas with bombings and fumigation of drug crops in the world’s largest producer of cocaine.
In addition, he amassed votes as a “severe enemy” of the left given the little progress in negotiations with the mafias and in a context of tense relations with Washington.
No re-election
Colombian law does not allow reelection and Petro chose as a possible successor Cepeda, a 63-year-old human rights defender who was committed to strengthening social programs that benefited poor and marginalized populations in one of the most unequal countries in the world.
“I am very nervous because I am very worried about what Abelardo may do (…) how far his thirst for power may go,” declared Santiago Galindo, a 40-year-old banker in Bogotá, amid tears.
A decade after the peace agreement with the FARCthe campaign was marked by violence by armed groups with bombs, explosive drones and the assassination of a presidential candidate.
Against the mafias
The jurist opposes the so-called “total peace” with which Gustavo Petro He aspired to bury decades of armed conflict through dialogue with criminal drug gangs and guerrillas.
Experts warn that his promises of a military offensive could generate a new spiral of violence.
There were “many warm water towels and there were no actions. The time has come to show that Tigre is the president of Colombia. It is time to take concrete actions and those are what De la Espriella proposes,” commented Ricardo Jerez, a 59-year-old businessman in Barranquilla.
With a military salute, De la Espriella boasts of being a singer and of his life of luxury in Italy.
Read more: China says it is “willing to work” with the new Colombian government after elections
Dollarize the economy?
“It connects with an electorate that is already very tired of insecurity and needs shock solutions” but it also embodies an “aspirational” model of the “businessman who built his fortune,” says Luisa Lozano, an expert at the University of La Sabana.
He defends the carrying of weapons, the construction of mega prisons, the exploitation of oil with fracking, cutting the State by 40% and considers that the “ideal” would be dollarize the economy.
It also proposes to review Colombia’s permanence in international organizations such as the UN and the OAS.
