Colombia's president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announces 'new era' after historic victory

Colombia's far-right president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, proclaimed the dawn of a "new era" for the nation following a razor-thin victory in the country's most closely contested election. The 47-year-old jurist, who lacks political experience, defeated left-wing senator Iván Cepeda by less than one percentage point. His win occurs as Colombia grapples with its most severe period of violence in a decade.

De la Espriella, who holds both Colombian and American nationality and is endorsed by Donald Trump, celebrated his win in Barranquilla. He declared, "A new era begins, a change of order, the miracle homeland." He vowed to end the reign of those who have "sown violence, terror, drug trafficking, and corruption for all these years." His supporters, some of whom arrived in a bulletproof vehicle similar to a popemobile, cheered his address to the nation.

However, the election results have not been universally accepted. Protests erupted in cities like Bogotá and Cali, with demonstrators burning U.S. flags and erecting barricades. Cepeda stated he would not accept the defeat before the final count, which is expected to take several days, and plans to challenge 33,000 polling stations. "We are not going to support this government," said 19-year-old student Brandon, who protested in Bogotá, adding, "It does not represent me as a young person. We will see many more demonstrations."

De la Espriella, who calls himself "El Tigre," has drawn criticism for his past misogynistic and homophobic remarks and for representing paramilitaries and drug traffickers as a lawyer. He has expressed intentions to seek support from the United States and Israel to combat guerrilla groups through bombings and fumigation of coca crops. His platform, which aligns with leaders like El Salvador's Nayib Bukele and Argentina's Javier Milei, resonated with voters seeking a strong stance against the left, especially amid stalled peace negotiations and strained relations with Washington.

“

¡Ganó, GRANDE!