Trump says De la Espriella will be a 'great president,' predicts better U.S. ties

Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Abelardo de la Espriella, the ultranationalist candidate who appears to have won Colombia's presidential election, predicting a significantly improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Colombia.

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He will be a great president.

Trump, who referred to De la Espriella by his nickname "El Tigre," revealed he spoke with the president-elect on Sunday night. De la Espriella reportedly thanked Trump for his electoral support. The U.S. president described De la Espriella as "a good man" and stated it was "an honor" to have publicly backed his win. "When someone like me likes a person, I like that person. It's very simple, it's a simple formula," Trump explained.

"He said very good things about me and about the work we have done in the United States, very, very strong. And he won an election in Colombia that, I don't know, surprised some because he was a little behind, but he won easily last night," Trump added, referring to De la Espriella's victory over leftist candidate Iván Cepeda.

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When someone like me likes a person, I like that person. It's very simple, it's a simple formula.

When asked about future U.S.-Colombia relations, Trump stated, "Much better. He will be a great president." Earlier on Monday, Trump had posted on his social media platform Truth, congratulating the candidate and expressing his hope to "build a powerful relationship" with Colombia. De la Espriella's platform includes a commitment to aligning with the White House on combating organized crime and migration, a stark contrast to the strained relationship between the outgoing administration of Gustavo Petro and the Trump administration.

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He said very good things about me and about the work we have done in the United States, very, very strong. And he won an election in Colombia that, I don't know, surprised some because he was a little behind, but he won easily last night.