Right-wing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella secured a narrow victory in Colombia’s presidential runoff election on Sunday. Preliminary results showed him leading after nearly all ballots were counted. The outcome marked a closely contested race between the two leading candidates.
Official figures gave De La Espriella 49.66 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, Senator Ivan Cepeda received 48.70 percent. The margin between both candidates stood at roughly 250,000 votes after the initial count.
De La Espriella Promises Security and Economic Reforms
De La Espriella campaigned on promises to strengthen security and revive Colombia’s economy. He pledged to expand the oil and gas sector while reducing taxes. Additionally, he vowed to shrink the size of the state and end peace talks with armed groups.
However, he also promised to preserve several popular social programmes. These include the recent minimum wage increase introduced under President Gustavo Petro. Following his victory, De La Espriella pledged to govern for all Colombians regardless of political differences.
Congress Challenges Await New President
Despite the victory, De La Espriella will face a divided Congress without a clear majority. Therefore, analysts believe he may need to negotiate support for key reforms. Meanwhile, major business organisations welcomed the election result and expressed optimism about future economic policies.
Cepeda said his campaign would challenge results from thousands of ballot boxes before certification. He urged dialogue and called for political agreements that protect existing social progress. Colombian law requires a final verified vote count before authorities officially declare the election winner.
More than 26 million Colombians participated in the runoff election. Security and economic concerns remained key issues throughout the closely watched presidential contest.
