In a closely watched event, Abelardo de la Espriella, a newcomer to politics, led in Colombia’s presidential runoff election. Nearly all votes were counted by Sunday. His opponent, Iván Cepeda, a progressive lawmaker, trailed him. De la Espriella held 49.7% of the votes, while Cepeda had 48.7% with 99.9% of the results reported by electoral authorities.

If declared the winner, de la Espriella would symbolize a shift from the policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro. De la Espriella is a business owner and lawyer, endorsed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, despite having no prior experience in political office.

De la Espriella addressed supporters in Barranquilla, announcing his anticipated win. “The Colombian people have entrusted me with the supreme honor of serving them,” he said from behind bulletproof glass. He promised to govern inclusively, stating there would be no retaliation against political opponents.

Despite de la Espriella’s lead, Cepeda’s campaign plans to contest results from over 30,000 voting stations. History shows no recount has ever altered a presidential election outcome in Colombia. Cepeda emphasized preserving the social progress achieved and stressed, “We will not allow democracy to be violated.”

As tensions rose, people in Bogotá shouted, “Petro out!” signaling dissatisfaction with the current administration. Both presidential candidates presented voters with contrasting plans to manage the ongoing violence in Colombia, such as frequent car bombings and kidnappings.

Once election officials confirm the results, the winner will start a four-year term on August 7. Celebrations erupted among de la Espriella’s supporters, who were optimistic about his tough approach to crime. At 47, he is advocating for an aggressive strategy against drug trafficking and intends to terminate Petro’s peace talks with various armed factions, which have seen limited success.

De la Espriella plans to build megaprisons, inspired by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele’s policies. While these measures have reduced homicide rates in El Salvador, they have also sparked human rights concerns.

De la Espriella holds dual citizenship in Colombia and the U.S., backing politicies aligned with Trump’s Republican Party ideals. Political leaders, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and presidents from Argentina and Ecuador, promptly congratulated him on his expected victory. They expressed eagerness for cooperation on regional security and strengthening economic ties.

In previous election rounds, de la Espriella had a slight edge over Cepeda, collecting 44% compared to Cepeda’s 41%. Despite Cepeda leading in pre-election polls, de la Espriella overtook him in the final results. Petro, without evidence, cast doubts over the results.

On election day, Yolanda Hernández, a voter in Bogotá, shared her shift in preference. While previously voting for Petro, she now supported de la Espriella. Her decision stemmed from dissatisfaction with Petro’s unfulfilled promises on lowering living costs.

Analyst Will Freeman noted that Sunday’s results illustrate a lack of sweeping rejection of Petro’s policies or substantial support for de la Espriella’s approach. Freeman highlighted that Colombia is regionally and ideologically divided.

The election transpired 10 years following a landmark peace agreement with the FARC guerrillas. This agreement initially kindled hopes for ending ongoing conflicts but violence resurged, especially with rebel factions transitioning to narcotrafficking. The surge in violence, marked by more than 27,000 illegal group members, included the shocking assassination of conservative candidate Miguel Uribe and a significant increase in extortion cases over recent years.