A far-right millionaire wins the presidential elections in Colombia. Image source: AP
Protests broke out in Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, on Sunday, after the presidential election, with demonstrators burning American flags and clashing with riot police, according to local reports.Police used tear gas to disperse crowds of thousands, following the announcement of a narrow victory for Trump-backed far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriilla, who defeated leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda in a hotly contested runoff.According to the initial vote count reported by Reuters, the millionaire lawyer and self-described political outsider won the Colombian presidential elections with 49.66 percent of the votes, narrowly ahead of leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, who received 48.7 percent.
With 99.99 percent of the votes counted, de la Espriilla received 12.96 million votes, beating Cepeda by 250,830 votes.
The “Tiger” promised a tough security agenda
De la Esprilla was nicknamed “The Panther” by supporters, and he campaigned as an anti-establishment figure. He positioned himself as a leader capable of restoring order and reviving the Colombian economy. De la Espriilla portrayed himself as a savior capable of restoring order in a country rocked by illegal armed groups and drug trafficking.
He rose to prominence with his tough-on-crime message and received 43.7 percent in the first round before winning a runoff.The president-elect pledged to make sweeping economic and security changes, including reducing the size of the state, expanding the tax base, ending peace efforts with armed groups, and shifting toward a stronger military response.He also proposed restarting oil exploration and expanding hydraulic fracturing, with the aim of increasing production to 1.3 million barrels per day.De la Espriilla claimed to have self-funded his campaign, although these allegations could not be independently verified.
Who is he?
Aside from his legal career, De La Espriella has built a portfolio that includes wine, rum, clothing and real estate. However, Colombian investigative newspaper La Silla Vacía reported that several of his companies were dissolved, took on debt or posted losses in 2024, with his law firm remaining his most profitable venture.The campaign refused to answer the outlet’s questions about its work and later challenged its funding in a public letter. La Silla Vacía rejected allegations of bias.The 47-year-old lawyer became known during the election campaign for using the military salute despite never having served in the armed forces. He is often seen wearing luxury watches and sunglasses, and has drawn comparisons with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, although he rejects such comparisons.
However, de la Espriilla proposed building 10 huge prisons in Colombia.He has also faced scrutiny for representing controversial clients, including Alex Saab, who faces money laundering charges in the United States. De la Espriilla, a married father of four, grew up in Montería, performs traditional vallenato music, and holds Colombian, American and Italian citizenship.
The Trump administration welcomes de la Espriilla’s victory
US President Donald Trump congratulated him on Truth Social, saying: “He won big!” According to what the publication stated in the reports.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said in a post on X that “the Trump administration looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration to strengthen regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen our economic ties.”De la Espriilla is expected to take office on August 7, as Colombia prepares for a new political direction under his presidency.
