Far-right candidate advances to runoff in Colombia's presidential election

Colombia's presidential election is heading to a runoff, with preliminary results indicating a contest between left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda and far-right contender Abelardo de la Espriella. With approximately half the votes tallied, Cepeda held 42% support, while De la Espriella led with 43%, according to AP.

If no candidate secures over 50% in the first round, the top two contenders will face each other in a second round of voting on June 21. Outgoing President Gustavo Petro has stated he will not accept the preliminary results until the final outcome is presented to a judicial panel.

This election follows a campaign marred by significant violence, including car bombings, drone attacks, and the assassination of a prominent candidate. Reuters reports that voters may face a stark choice between two ideological extremes in the upcoming runoff.

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Dersom ingen kandidater får over 50 prosent i den første runden, møtes de to fremste kandidatene til en ny valgomgang 21. juni.

Cepeda advocates for peace talks with illegal armed groups and plans to expand social reforms. In contrast, De la Espriella, a lawyer and supporter of Donald Trump, has pledged to use the military to crack down on these same groups and has criticized left-wing policies. De la Espriella, 47, is a political newcomer, describing himself as an "outsider without political baggage," while the 63-year-old Cepeda has extensive experience as a senator and activist.

Low turnout in the first round could mean that candidates have a significant pool of undecided voters to appeal to in the next round, potentially influencing the final outcome.

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Lav deltakelse i den første valgomgangen kan bety at kandidatene har flere stemmer å hente dersom de kan overbevise folk om å faktisk møte opp i den neste runden.