{"id":377,"date":"2026-06-01T15:21:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T15:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=377"},"modified":"2026-06-01T15:21:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T15:21:20","slug":"de-la-espriella-takes-spotlight-in-colombias-presidential-race-with-promise-of-crime-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=377","title":{"rendered":"De la Espriella takes spotlight in Colombia\u2019s presidential race with promise of crime crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) \u2014 Bombastic pro-Trump lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella pulled ahead in <span>Colombia\u2019s race for the presidency<\/span> in the first round of elections over the weekend, capitalizing on a growing appetite for heavy-handed crackdowns on criminal groups across <span>Latin America<\/span>.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=365\">50 years on, Fela\u2019s legendary \u2018Zombie\u2019 album still resonates in Nigeria<\/a><\/p><p>The outcome dealt a political blow to second-place finisher, progressive Sen. Iv\u00e1n Cepeda, and his ally, President <span>Gustavo Petro<\/span>. Both questioned the results of the election Sunday night, without providing evidence.<\/p><p>De la Espriella rapidly gained traction in the lead-up to Sunday\u2019s election, winning nearly 44% of the vote, and surpassing Cepeda, who had consistently led polling throughout the campaign and won less than 41% of the vote.<\/p><p>The two are slated to continue to a runoff election on June 21, where de la Espriella is expected to scoop up additional votes from Colombians who supported other conservative candidates in the first round.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Cepeda will face an uphill battle in the runoff, said Sergio Guzm\u00e1n, a political analyst. \u201cAbelardo de la Espriella won the first round. In other words, that\u2019s a shift in public opinion that is very difficult to overcome. So now Abelardo is emerging as the likely favorite to win.\u201d<\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the Defenders of the Motherland movement addresses supporters from inside a bulletproof booth after leading the first round of the presidential election and advancing to a runoff in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ivan Valencia)\" class=\"wp-image-372\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a9e6a16e7992af5d1737da079b74eb1-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a9e6a16e7992af5d1737da079b74eb1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a9e6a16e7992af5d1737da079b74eb1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a9e6a16e7992af5d1737da079b74eb1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact coalition addresses supporters after advancing to a runoff election in second place in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo\/Matias Delacroix) CORRECTION: Corrects Paloma Valencia to Ivan Cepeda, and photographer Jose Vargas to Matias Delacroix\" class=\"wp-image-373\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d0cde1b6a08e74abe3be5468aeaf4c04-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d0cde1b6a08e74abe3be5468aeaf4c04-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d0cde1b6a08e74abe3be5468aeaf4c04-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d0cde1b6a08e74abe3be5468aeaf4c04.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<!-- AP \"Read More\" embed (place mid-article) -->\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Joining a political shift in the Americas<\/h2><p>De la Espriella, known as \u201cEl Tigre\u201d or \u201cThe Tiger,\u201d has never held office in Colombia and prided himself on living a luxurious life in Italy before deciding to run for president. He pitched himself as an outsider who would cozy up to U.S. President Donald Trump and follow El Salvador President <span>Nayib Bukele\u2019s war on gangs<\/span>, which has driven down homicide rates but fueled accusations of human rights abuses.<\/p><p>\u201cI will wipe out narcoterrorism and those who I\u2019ve declared a military target like cockroaches, like rats. I will unleash upon them the wrath of God never seen before,\u201d de la Espriella said in an interview with The Associated Press in the final stretch of the campaign, where he promised to open 10 mega-prisons to fight crime.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He joins a growing number of leaders across Latin America \u2014 from Chile to Honduras \u2014 seeking to latch onto the \u201cBukele model\u201d as voters across Latin America are <span>increasingly ditching leaders that pitched progressive policies<\/span> aimed at addressing the root issues of conflict, such as lack of opportunities for young people and corruption. <\/p><p>De la Espriella\u2019s supporters come from a wide range of backgrounds. Yolanda Per\u00e9z, a 64-year-old woman serving coffee in the downtown of Colombia\u2019s capital, Bogot\u00e1, said with a wink the day before the election: \u201cI\u2019m thinking of voting for El Tigre.\u201d<\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Supporters of presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the Defenders of the Motherland movement celebrate election results in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo\/Fernando Vergara)\" class=\"wp-image-374\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/16bee6f6b3e8408b5060e67c4e22b014-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/16bee6f6b3e8408b5060e67c4e22b014-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/16bee6f6b3e8408b5060e67c4e22b014-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/16bee6f6b3e8408b5060e67c4e22b014.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>Miguel Maheca, a 20-year-old first-time voter, flashed his voting ballot to his mother as he strolled out of the polling station on Sunday, saying with a grin, \u201cLove isn\u2019t what\u2019s going to make us safe in Colombia.\u201d<\/p><p>But experts say El Salvador\u2019s security successes will be nearly impossible to replicate in a country like Colombia, which is more than 50 times larger than the Central American nation and has many more armed groups fighting for territory. <\/p><p>The polarized vote comes as the Trump administration is playing a more aggressive role in Latin America than any U.S. government in decades, placing mounting pressure on countries like Colombia, Mexico and Ecuador to crack down on crime.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=357\">Pro-Trump candidate takes lead in Colombia\u2019s presidential race with promise of crime crackdown<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>De la Espriella, 47, made a name for himself as a lawyer defending high-profile clients such as former President \u00c1lvaro Uribe, as well as controversial figures like Alex Saab, a close ally of Venezuela\u2019s ousted president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro who <span>faces legal issues in the U.S.<\/span> and whom he stopped representing about seven years ago.<\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Supporters of presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact coalition react as presidential election results are announced in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo\/Matias Delacroix)\" class=\"wp-image-375\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/150a0a386610e5835467c5333188a0ad-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/150a0a386610e5835467c5333188a0ad-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/150a0a386610e5835467c5333188a0ad-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/150a0a386610e5835467c5333188a0ad.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><h2>A blow to Cepeda<\/h2><p>De la Espriella\u2019s rise as a presidential candidate spells trouble for progressive Cepeda, who consistently led polls in the lead up to Sunday\u2019s election, though his competitor quickly gained speed in the weeks ahead of the vote.<\/p><p>Cepeda is a progressive senator who has promised to carry on his ally Petro\u2019s <span>fraught plan to achieve \u201ctotal peace\u201d<\/span> by negotiating peace pacts with guerrillas and criminal gangs.<\/p><p>Their political movement was born from a fierce rejection by many Colombians of a militarized offensive by Uribe in decades past used to beat back the guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which ended in thousands of civilians being killed by Colombian forces in a scandal known as \u201cfalse positives.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>De la Espriella \u201crepresents a return to the paramilitary politics and drug-trafficking \u2014 a mafia-run, plutocratic and corrupt past that the country experienced during \u00c1lvaro Uribe\u2019s two administrations,\u201d Cepeda said on Sunday.<\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Soldiers guard during the presidential election in Santander de Quilichao, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo\/Santiago Saldarriaga)\" class=\"wp-image-376\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/84a7540f909917cf0fdcf2e6c05bdb3b-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/84a7540f909917cf0fdcf2e6c05bdb3b-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/84a7540f909917cf0fdcf2e6c05bdb3b-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/84a7540f909917cf0fdcf2e6c05bdb3b.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>On Monday, Cepeda called on de la Espriella to debate him ahead of the second round of elections.<\/p><p>Petro, a former rebel, won Colombia\u2019s presidency in 2022 in a historic election that ended decades of right-wing domination by leaders from Uribe\u2019s political movement. He gained massive support from rural-dwelling, Indigenous and poorer Colombians who felt they had never been directly spoken to by Colombian leaders.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Now, that movement is backed into a corner.<\/p><p>\u201cThis is de la Espriella\u2019s election to lose,\u201d wrote Renata Segura, director of International Crisis Group\u2019s Latin America and the Caribbean Program. \u201cCepeda thought he could win appealing squarely to the left, and that proved to be a massive mistake. How he pivots in the next month will determine if he has any chance to win.\u201d<\/p><p>___<\/p><p>Follow AP\u2019s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at <span>https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/latin-america<\/span><\/p><p>___<\/p><p>This version corrects the spelling of the first name of the leading candidate to Abelardo.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=355\">Israel orders strikes on Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs as Hezbollah rockets hit northern Israel<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pro-Trump lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella leads Colombia\u2019s presidential race after the first round of elections over the weekend. He won nearly 44% of the vote, surpassing progressive senator Iv\u00e1n Cepeda, who had led in polls but received less than 41%. De la Espriella, known for his tough stance on crime, is expected to gain more support in the June 21 runoff. His rise reflects a shift in Latin America towards leaders favoring heavy-handed crime policies. Cepeda, who supports peace negotiations with criminal gangs, faces a challenging path ahead. Experts say replicating El Salvador&#8217;s security model in Colombia will be difficult.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>De la Espriella takes spotlight in Colombia\u2019s presidential race with promise of crime crackdown - Top Moving Pros<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=377\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"De la Espriella takes spotlight in Colombia\u2019s presidential race with promise of crime crackdown - Top Moving Pros\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pro-Trump lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella leads Colombia\u2019s presidential race after the first round of elections over the weekend. He won nearly 44% of the vote, surpassing progressive senator Iv\u00e1n Cepeda, who had led in polls but received less than 41%. De la Espriella, known for his tough stance on crime, is expected to gain more support in the June 21 runoff. His rise reflects a shift in Latin America towards leaders favoring heavy-handed crime policies. Cepeda, who supports peace negotiations with criminal gangs, faces a challenging path ahead. Experts say replicating El Salvador&#039;s security model in Colombia will be difficult.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=377\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Top Moving Pros\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-01T15:21:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a9e6a16e7992af5d1737da079b74eb1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d120f8ae15027244cf4e8ea553e290f8\"},\"headline\":\"De la Espriella takes spotlight in Colombia\u2019s presidential race with promise of crime crackdown\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-01T15:21:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377\"},\"wordCount\":988,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/5a0b682c9cb1a8c8406b2b2dc4c6cff4-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"World News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377\",\"name\":\"De la Espriella takes spotlight in Colombia\u2019s presidential race with promise of crime crackdown - Top Moving Pros\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/5a0b682c9cb1a8c8406b2b2dc4c6cff4-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-01T15:21:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d120f8ae15027244cf4e8ea553e290f8\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/?p=377#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/5a0b682c9cb1a8c8406b2b2dc4c6cff4-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/topmovingpross.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/5a0b682c9cb1a8c8406b2b2dc4c6cff4-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"El candidato presidencial Abelardo de la Espriella, del movimiento Defensores de la Patria, se dirige a sus seguidores desde el interior de una cabina a prueba de balas tras liderar la primera vuelta de las elecciones presidenciales y avanzar a la segunda vuelta en Barranquilla, Colombia, el domingo 31 de mayo de 2026. 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He won nearly 44% of the vote, surpassing progressive senator Iv\u00e1n Cepeda, who had led in polls but received less than 41%. De la Espriella, known for his tough stance on crime, is expected to gain more support in the June 21 runoff. His rise reflects a shift in Latin America towards leaders favoring heavy-handed crime policies. Cepeda, who supports peace negotiations with criminal gangs, faces a challenging path ahead. 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