Colombia's National Electoral Council (CNE) approved the second-round results of the presidential election for the 2026-2030 term, officially declaring right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella as president. CNE President Cristian Quiroz said during the proclamation ceremony, "Today the CNE has completed one of the most important and historic steps of our democracy: the national vote counting process for the second round of the presidential election has been finalized."
Quiroz emphasized that the general count was not merely a bureaucratic procedure but a meticulous verification of the people's will. Acting Registrar for Elections Jaime Hernando Suarez officially announced that Espriella was elected president and Jose Manuel Restrepo as vice president.
Election results
In the second round, Espriella, the candidate of the Homeland Defenders Movement, received 49.66 percent of the vote, while Ivan Cepeda, the left-wing candidate of the ruling Historic Pact coalition, received 48.70 percent. Espriella will take over from current President Gustavo Petro in a handover ceremony on August 7.
Who is Abelardo de la Espriella?
Espriella, who adopted the nickname "The Tiger" during his election campaign, is a 47-year-old lawyer and millionaire businessman known for his closeness to U.S. President Donald Trump. Espriella founded his own political movement in July 2025 and entered the presidential race to prevent the left, led by President Petro, and Senator Cepeda, seen as his successor, from maintaining power.
Espriella participated in peace negotiations between the former government of President Alvaro Uribe and the paramilitary group United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) about 20 years ago. Among his clients is Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab, who is said to be close to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and was recently extradited to the United States on charges of money laundering and sanctions violations.
Controversial past and campaign promises
His left-wing rival Ivan Cepeda accused Espriella during the campaign of having links to paramilitary groups due to this background. Espriella, who claimed to have received death threats, held his campaign rallies behind bulletproof glass.
Espriella's prominent campaign promises include building 10 "mega prisons," ending the Petro government's "Total Peace" policy, and implementing a tougher, military-focused security strategy to combat drug trafficking and armed groups.
