Trump-backed candidate declared winner of Colombia's presidential runoff

Colombia is set to have a new president after conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella was declared the winner of Sunday's runoff election. De la Espriella, a millionaire businessman and lawyer with ventures in fashion, wine, and restaurants, secured the presidency with an endorsement from former U.S. President Donald Trump, despite never having held political office before.

He narrowly defeated progressive lawmaker Iván Cepeda by just 1 percentage point, translating to over 251,000 votes. This outcome is widely seen as a repudiation of outgoing President Gustavo Petro's administration. Cepeda had pledged to continue Petro's policies, including his largely unsuccessful attempts at peace negotiations with various armed groups, a strategy that studies suggest has led to the expansion of criminal organizations.

De la Espriella, who presented himself as a political outsider, employed a combative campaign style, engaging in numerous clashes, particularly with women journalists. He also utilized pyrotechnics during campaign events. His victory places Colombia among a growing number of nations turning to non-traditional political figures to address complex social, security, and economic challenges.

Drawing inspiration from Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, de la Espriella has promised a stringent approach to combating violent crime. His proposals include building "mega-prisons," similar to El Salvador's CECOT model, where inmates would be held deep underground and subsist on minimal rations. These tactics, while credited with lowering homicide rates in El Salvador, have also drawn accusations of human rights abuses.