Elections in Colombia: the “outsider” Abelardo De la Espriella also won abroad

According to the official results, De la Espriella received 319,962 votes, equivalent to 54.36% of the votes cast outside the country, compared to Cepeda’s 167,513 votes, which represent 28.46%.

The right-wing candidate consolidated its advantage mainly in the United Stateswhere the largest Colombian community abroad resides.

There, De la Espriella obtained more than 155,000 votes from the 216,000 Colombians who participated. Also won in Canada, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and several countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Cepeda, for his part, prevailed in much of Europewinning in Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, Portugal and Italy.

In Spain, the progressive candidate obtained more than 54,000 votes, which confirms its strong support among Colombian voters who have emigrated to Europe.

A total of 589,782 Colombian citizens voted abroad, representing 41.69% of the more than 1.4 million voters registered outside the country.

At the national level, De la Espriella obtained 10.3 million votes in the first round, compared to Cepeda’s 9.6 million, in one of the most polarized elections in Colombia in recent years.

The country will decide in the June 21 runoff between two extremes: a millionaire lawyer who presents himself as an “outsider” and a left-wing senator who is heir to the social policies of Gustavo Petro, in a context of strong polarization, violence and growing insecurity.

The first place for De la Espriella, an admirer of Donald Trump, is an unexpected result according to analysts, who anticipated a victory for the left. However, his rise also reflects the rejection of a part of the electorate to Petro’s “total peace” policyconsidered failed by its critics, who denounce an increase in crime and extortion.

From Espriella claims his lack of political experience as a virtue. His supporters see him as “new blood” capable of renewing the system, while proposes reducing the size of the State and strengthen the free market. However, his detractors warn about his radical discourse, his ideological closeness to leaders like Trump or Milei and the risk of an authoritarian or exclusionary turn.

In the opposite field, Cepeda promises to deepen the government’s social policies and focus on the most vulnerable sectors. However, he is harshly criticized by right-wing voters who point to him as one of those responsible for the “total peace” strategy, which they accuse of leniency towards armed groups and crime. For his opponents, his project represents an ideological model close to “communism”.

The electoral campaign was marked by polarization, violence and lack of debates between candidates. Uribismo’s support for De la Espriella reconfigures the second round scenariowhere political support and Cepeda’s ability to attract center voters in a race will be key increasingly ideological and confrontational.

Polarization is sharpening throughout the country in the face of Sunday’s results with the advantage of De la Espriella and after the announcement by President Petro de not recognizing the preliminary results of the votes, statements that fuel the concerns of various Colombian political sectors.

Petro denounced alleged irregularities in the electoral counting system citing differences between the official electoral census and the information used during the process. The president’s position was immediately supported by candidate Cepeda.

Cepeda stated that “There is information and indications of an undetermined number of tables that we are verifying…in which, according to the first reports, atypical votes have been presented.” The official made these statements to his supporters in a hotel in Bogotá and without showing evidence.

“Only when the scrutiny committees completely clarify this matter will we rule on tonight’s results,” he added.

Very different was the response of Abelardo de la Espriella who asked the international community monitor the electoral process At the same time, he assured that he was willing to defend democracy even with his own life.

The president’s statements generated Immediate reactions from different political sectors.

The National Registry Office, in charge of the logistics of the election, counted the votes on Sunday in an informative and In the following days it will be verified during the official scrutiny. In this last phase, claims are resolved and winners are declared.