Colombian Voters Give 47% to Tough-on-Crime Candidate in First Round

Colombia's presidential election will proceed to a runoff on 21 June after no candidate secured more than 50 percent in Sunday's first-round vote. Right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella received 47 percent of the vote while left-wing senator Iván Cepeda received 41 percent, according to nearly complete official tallies from electoral authorities.

De la Espriella has pledged a military crackdown on armed groups, closer security cooperation with the United States, and construction of ten large prisons. Cepeda helped negotiate the 2016 peace accord with the FARC guerrilla group and has backed expanded welfare programs and land distribution to victims of internal conflict.

The campaign period included drone strikes, kidnappings, homicides, and the assassination of a presidential candidate at a rally last year. Electoral authorities stated that voting day itself proceeded normally and safely. President Gustavo Petro said he would not accept preliminary results until judges complete a full review.

No candidate obtained a majority, setting up a contest between the hard right and the hard left. De la Espriella, described as a Trump admirer, delivered a surprise first-round performance that represented a blow to Colombia’s traditional conservatives.

Ecuador's president reached an agreement with De la Espriella on 1 June to drop tariffs and increase cooperation against cross-border crime. Colombia's foreign ministry accused Ecuador of deliberate interference in the election.