OAS urges Colombian leaders to accept election results peacefully

The Organization of American States (OAS) has called on Colombian leaders to accept the results of the presidential runoff election peacefully. Albert Ramdin, the OAS Secretary General, expressed his hope for a tranquil election day with high voter turnout, stressing the importance of leaders acting responsibly once the results are known to ensure continued governance.

Colombians are heading to the polls to elect their next president, choosing between far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Iván Cepeda. De la Espriella, who has the backing of former U.S. President Donald Trump, is reportedly leading in the polls against Cepeda, an ally of current President Gustavo Petro.

The OAS has deployed a mission of 96 observers and political specialists from 24 nationalities to monitor the election across 26 of Colombia's 32 departments, as well as in international locations like Madrid, New York, and Miami. This effort is supported by over 15,000 national observers and nearly 250,000 campaign representatives for both candidates. The election features 118,346 voting tables distributed across 13,489 polling stations nationwide.

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I hope that this presidential runoff takes place in peace, that everyone can vote and that we have broad participation so that the voice of the people is heard. But, above all, I hope that once the results are known, the leaders act with responsibility and accept them peacefully so that governance continues.