Iván Cepeda Dominates Colombia's Caribbean Region in Election Upset

Iván Cepeda Castro secured a significant victory across Colombia's seven Caribbean departments, demonstrating strong regional support despite Abelardo de la Espriella winning the national presidential runoff. Official results show Cepeda outperformed his opponent in Atlántico, Bolívar, Córdoba, Magdalena, La Guajira, Sucre, and Cesar. His dominance extended to the capitals of these departments, including Cartagena, Sincelejo, and Riohacha. The Caribbean region solidified its position as Cepeda's electoral stronghold. In Atlántico, Cepeda garnered 58.59% of the vote, compared to De la Espriella's 40.43%. Barranquilla, Atlántico's capital, saw Cepeda win with 54.15%. Bolívar province showed even stronger support for Cepeda, with 59.50% of the vote, and Cartagena recorded a decisive 65.24% for Cepeda. Córdoba, Magdalena, and Sucre also largely backed Cepeda, with significant margins in their respective capitals. La Guajira emerged as another key bastion for Cepeda's campaign.