Colombians in Venezuela back De la Espriella overwhelmingly despite low turnout

Colombians residing in Venezuela registered one of the lowest participation rates among expatriates in Colombia's presidential election runoff. However, among those who did cast ballots, support for Abelardo de la Espriella was overwhelming. Out of more than 180,000 eligible Colombian voters in Venezuela, only 13.71% participated, totaling 24,787 voters. Of this group, 79.67% backed De la Espriella, equating to 19,682 votes, according to El Tiempo. This result made Venezuela a country where the president-elect garnered a higher level of support among Colombian voters abroad compared to other nations. The percentage achieved surpassed that of the Defensores de la Patria candidate during the first round of elections. Domestically, the contest was much closer. With over 99% of precincts reporting in the preliminary count, De la Espriella led Iván Cepeda by approximately 49.66% to 48.70%, a difference of about 250,000 votes. De la Espriella's victory among Colombians in Venezuela mirrored trends across much of the Americas. In the United States, the largest overseas electoral constituency, he secured 81.40% of the vote. He also won in Canada (61.50%), Mexico (66.89%), Panama (76.02%), Ecuador (65.91%), Peru (73.92%), Chile (51.40%), Costa Rica (76.33%), and Guatemala (82.25%). The electoral landscape in much of Europe presented a different picture. In Spain, the second most significant electoral hub abroad, Iván Cepeda received 49.84% of the votes. The Pacto Histórico candidate also gained majorities in France (61%), Germany (65%), Italy (50%), Sweden (63%), and Poland (66%), along with other European countries where he maintained support from the first round. Abstention remained a prominent feature of the election day. Despite a significant Colombian population in Venezuela, fewer than two in ten eligible voters participated in the elections. The results in Venezuela reflect a combination of high abstention and marked support for the now-elected president, a tendency that aligned with the behavior of many Colombian voters in the Americas.