{"id":1066,"date":"2026-06-24T22:11:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T22:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1066"},"modified":"2026-06-24T22:11:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T22:11:36","slug":"trump-endorsed-de-la-espriella-declared-winner-of-colombias-presidential-runoff-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1066","title":{"rendered":"Trump-endorsed de la Espriella declared winner of Colombia\u2019s presidential runoff election"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) \u2014 Conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella<\/span>, a millionaire political neophyte, will be Colombia\u2019s next president after electoral authorities on Wednesday declared him the winner of Sunday\u2019s runoff election.<\/p>\n

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The businessman and lawyer, whose ventures include a clothing line, wine and rum brands, and a restaurant, earned U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s<\/span> endorsement despite never having run for office. He defeated progressive lawmaker Iv\u00e1n Cepeda by 1 percentage point, or more than 251,000 votes.<\/p>\n

The result effectively was an indictment of outgoing President Gustavo Petro\u2019s government, whose policies Cepeda had promised to continue, including a largely failed effort to establish dialogue with multiple armed groups<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Electoral authorities published all but a fraction of the vote count hours after polls closed Sunday. Petro and Cepeda did not accept those results, with the latter saying he would wait for a recount to do so. Authorities finished the recount before declaring de la Espriella\u2019s victory.<\/p>\n

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De la Espriella\u2019s victory adds Colombia<\/span> to a growing list of countries<\/span> that have turned to political outsiders in search for solutions to complex social, security and economic challenges.<\/p>\n

The self-proclaimed representative of \u201cthe never-before-seen\u201d promised voters fearful of renewed internal conflict<\/span> to take a heavy-handed approach to combating violent crime with strategies borrowed from Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele\u2019s playbook, including building mega-prisons. Those tactics have lowered homicide rates in the Central American country but have fueled accusations of human rights abuses.<\/p>\n

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Earlier Wednesday, Cepeda conceded Colombia\u2019s presidential election to de la Espriella and accepted a Senate seat reserved for the runner-up in the presidential election.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe assume with serenity, responsibility and absolute resolve \u2014 and let there be no doubt about it \u2014 the role that circumstances demand of us,\u201d Cepeda said in an address to the nation. \u201cWe will exercise a democratic, vigilant and constructive opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n

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De la Espriella, 47, will begin a four-year term Aug. 7. <\/p>\n

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