Colombia presidential runoff: Candidates trade barbs, borders close

Hours before polls opened for Colombia's presidential runoff, the two candidates traded sharp barbs in their final press interviews. Progressive candidate Iván Cepeda called his opponent, Abelardo de la Espriella, "a danger to democracy, social equity, and life itself." Cepeda alluded to alleged ties between de la Espriella, who calls himself 'El Tigre,' and right-wing paramilitary groups operating in the country.

Cepeda expressed confidence in overcoming the three-point deficit from the first round, where de la Espriella led with 43.7% of the vote. "We ran a segmented campaign and transparently explained to all sectors who we are and what we want to do," Cepeda stated in an interview with El País.

Meanwhile, de la Espriella voiced concerns about potential electoral fraud in a Semana magazine interview. "I don't think I've won yet because we face a radical left-wing mafia that will do everything possible to cling to power," he said, urging the population to vote. De la Espriella anticipates securing between 13.5 and 14 million votes, surpassing his first-round total of 10.3 million. For context, current progressive President Gustavo Petro was elected in 2022 with 11.3 million votes.

In a bid to prevent external interference, Colombia closed its borders twelve hours earlier than planned for the election. President Gustavo Petro announced the border with Venezuela would be shut from 6:00 AM, with elections in Norte de Santander, La Guajira, and Arauca proceeding with Colombian citizens voting domestically. This measure aims to ensure the presidential runoff occurs without outside interference and with full transparency, according to electoral authorities.

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Abbiamo fatto una campagna segmentata e spiegato in modo trasparente a tutti i settori chi siamo e che vogliamo fare