Panama President Congratulates Colombia's President-Elect De la Espriella

Panama's President José Raúl Mulino extended congratulations to Colombia's president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, following his tight victory in the nation's presidential election runoff. Mulino conveyed his best wishes for De la Espriella's success as he assumes leadership of the country.

"I congratulate Abelardo de la Espriella on his victory in Colombia. I wish him the greatest success in the responsibility he assumes at the head of his country," Mulino stated in a message posted on X. He also reaffirmed Panama's readiness to continue fostering friendship, cooperation, and development between the two nations, adding, "My best wishes for the Colombian people."

De la Espriella, a far-right candidate often referred to as "El Tigre" by his supporters, narrowly defeated leftist Iván Cepeda of the Pacto Histórico. With 99.98% of the preliminary vote counted, De la Espriella garnered 12.9 million votes (49.66%), a margin of less than 1% over Cepeda's 12.7 million votes (48.70%). De la Espriella is set to succeed Gustavo Petro and serve the 2026-2030 presidential term.