politics
De la Espriella Leads Colombia Presidential Runoff Against Cepeda
Abelardo de la Espriella, a criminal-defense lawyer with no prior political experience, won 44 percent of the vote in Colombia's May presidential first round. He faces left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda in a June 21 runoff, with AtlasIntel placing him at 52 percent support as of June 13.
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Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old criminal-defense lawyer, won the first round of Colombia's presidential election in May with 44 percent of the vote. He will face left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda in a June 21 runoff. De la Espriella built his campaign around a hardline security platform that includes building ten privately run mega-prisons, lengthening sentences, and conducting aerial spraying of coca crops with glyphosate.
He has stated he will not negotiate with armed groups and has threatened to shoot down planes carrying drugs.
Before entering politics, de la Espriella represented former President Alvaro Uribe in a case involving alleged paramilitary ties and served as counsel for Alex Saab, a Colombian national who held a ministerial post in Venezuela. He also owns businesses in menswear, rum, whiskey, and a Miami-area restaurant, and has released classical music albums.
Supporters gathered in San Jose del Guaviare on a recent June evening to hear de la Espriella's message.
Cepeda has pledged to continue negotiations with armed groups.
De la Espriella has said he will increase defense spending and return to forced coca eradication. AtlasIntel's June 13 survey showed de la Espriella at 52 percent support ahead of the runoff.
