Colombian Candidate Thanks Milei, Warns of Electoral Fraud Amidst Heated Race

Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella has thanked Argentine President Javier Milei for his congratulatory message following the first round of elections and called for sustained international scrutiny of the Colombian electoral process. Amidst escalating political polarization and accusations of fraud, De la Espriella warned that President Gustavo Petro and official candidate Iván Cepeda are attempting to disregard the popular will.

"For the first time in our history, a president and his candidate have decided not to recognize the electoral results," De la Espriella stated on social media platform X. He accused both Petro and Cepeda of seeking to undermine democracy and manipulate the outcome to remain in power, drawing a parallel with the situation in Venezuela.

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For the first time in our history, a president and his candidate have decided not to recognize the electoral results.

De la Espriella, a 47-year-old businessman running as an "outsider," secured 43.7% of the vote in the first round, narrowly ahead of Cepeda's 40.9%. His campaign has centered on a strong security platform, including proposals for military offensives against illegal armed groups and the construction of mega-prisons, drawing comparisons to El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. He also advocates for revitalizing the oil sector to improve fiscal accounts.

Meanwhile, Cepeda, a 63-year-old senator and veteran leftist leader, initially denounced potential irregularities in the vote count alongside President Petro. However, Cepeda later stated his campaign found no evidence of anomalies and urged a focus on policy proposals. The candidates have exchanged sharp personal attacks, with De la Espriella labeling Cepeda a "puppet" and "heir to narco-terrorism," while Cepeda called De la Espriella a "fascist mafioso."

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I am ready to give the final battle.