Colombians vote in presidential election runoff between far-right and left-wing candidates

Colombians are heading to the polls on Sunday for the second round of presidential elections, choosing between far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda to succeed current President Gustavo Petro. The voting began at 8:00 a.m. local time and will continue for eight hours, after which vote counting will commence to determine the president for the 2026-2030 term.

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The call is for citizens to come with enthusiasm and confirm their democratic principles.

The opening ceremony for the polls took place in Bolívar Square, Bogotá, with President Petro, electoral committee head Hernán Penagos, and Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán in attendance. Officials urged voters to participate with enthusiasm and to respect the election results, emphasizing the need for peaceful resolution of political differences. President Petro himself called on citizens to vote "by all means, overcoming any obstacle," and stressed that he would only recognize the official count by judicial officials, not preliminary results.

Opinion polls indicate a lead for lawyer de la Espriella, founder of the "Defenders of the Fatherland" movement, who won the first round and has the support of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Senator Cepeda, from the "Historic Pact" party, which is aligned with Petro, follows in the polls. A total of 41.4 million Colombians are eligible to vote across the country.

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I will obey the judges, as the law and the Constitution dictate. Anything before the judges' decision is just information, but the judicial decision is binding.

To ensure the security of the electoral process, the Ministry of Defense has deployed 408,000 members of the armed forces and police. This measure aims to prevent interference from illegal armed groups, particularly in rural areas where threats against voters have been reported. President Petro cast his final vote as president at the National Capitol, vowing not to remain in power beyond August 7, the date the winner will take office.

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to vote by all means, overcoming any obstacle, geographical or logistical