{"id":7345,"date":"2026-06-18T16:35:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/18\/continuity-or-change-what-to-know-about-colombias-run-off-election\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T16:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:35:35","slug":"continuity-or-change-what-to-know-about-colombias-run-off-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/18\/continuity-or-change-what-to-know-about-colombias-run-off-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Continuity or change? What to know about Colombia\u2019s run-off election"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Voters in Colombia are preparing to head to the polls for the second time in less than a month to decide who will be the South American country\u2019s next president.<\/p>\n<p>But the two candidates competing in Sunday\u2019s run-off offer starkly <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/30\/opposite-visions-what-to-know-about-colombias-presidential-election\">differing visions<\/a> for the country\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/31\/cepeda-de-la-espriella-advance-in-colombias-presidential-election\">Cepeda, de la Espriella advance in Colombia\u2019s presidential election<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/longform\/2026\/6\/14\/making-history-the-fight-to-end-female-genital-mutilation-in-colombia\">\u2018Making history\u2019: The fight to end female genital mutilation in Colombia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/31\/colombians-head-to-the-polls-to-choose-president-gustavo-petros-successor\">Colombians head to the polls to choose President Gustavo Petro\u2019s successor<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>One candidate, left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda, has pledged continuity with the government of outgoing President <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/9\/27\/us-revokes-colombian-president-petros-visa-over-reckless-actions-in-nyc\">Gustavo Petro<\/a>, who championed anti-poverty measures and negotiations with the country\u2019s armed groups.<\/p>\n<p>The other, far-right outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, has promised a break from establishment politics, including a swerve away from negotiated solutions and towards more military-led responses to crime and violence.<\/p>\n<p>De la Espriella emerged with a small advantage over Cepeda in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/31\/cepeda-de-la-espriella-advance-in-colombias-presidential-election\">first round <\/a>of voting on May 31, earning 43 percent of the vote compared with the senator\u2019s 40 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Margins are once again tight going into the second round, but pre-election polls show de la Espriella\u00a0 ahead of Cepeda.<\/p>\n<p>Who are the two candidates, what issues are animating the election, and what can we expect during the second round of voting? We answer those questions and more in this brief explainer.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4672545\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4672545\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/afp_6a32ec5d50af-1781722205.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C576&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"(COMBO) This combination of file pictures created on June 16, 2026, shows Colombia's presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella (L), of the Defensores de la Patria political movement, listening during an interview with AFP in Bogota on February 11, 2026, and Colombia's presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda, for the Pacto Historico party, smiling during a press conference in Bogota, on June 1, 2026, the day after the presidential election.\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4672545\">Right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, left, will face left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda during the final round of Colombia\u2019s presidential race [Luis Acosta\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"when-is-the-election\">When is the election?<\/h2>\n<p>The run-off vote will take place on June 21.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-happened-during-the-first-round-of-voting\">What happened during the first round of voting?<\/h2>\n<p>Cepeda had been leading in the pre-election polls ahead of the May 31 general election.<\/p>\n<p>But in an upset, de la Espriella came in first place with 43.7 percent of the vote. Cepeda trailed with 40.9 percent. Neither, however, secured a majority of 50 percent or more to avoid a run-off race.<\/p>\n<p>The surprise outcome led President Petro to accuse private firms of manipulating the election results in favour of the right-wing candidate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs president, I do not accept the results of the preliminary count,\u201d Petro wrote on social media shortly after the results were tallied.<\/p>\n<p>Initially, Cepeda appeared to echo Petro\u2019s scepticism, but he later conceded that there were no irregularities in the first round of voting.<\/p>\n<p>The European Union\u2019s Election Observation Mission also affirmed that there was no evidence of malfeasance in the election.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-can-round-one-tell-us-about-round-two\">What can round one tell us about round two?<\/h2>\n<p>De la Espriella is believed to have an advantage coming out of the first round of voting.<\/p>\n<p>In the general election, right-wing voters were split between different candidates, including de la Espriella, conservative Senator Paloma Valencia and centrist Sergio Fajardo.<\/p>\n<p>Now, in the second round of voting, de la Espriella is expected to consolidate some of the voters who previously cast their ballot for Valencia and Fajardo.<\/p>\n<p>The first round also revealed a geographical divide between the regions that supported Cepeda and the regions where de la Espriella won.<\/p>\n<p>Majorities in coastal and border regions, as well as in the capital Bogota, voted for Cepeda. But central departments, which have been hard hit by Colombia\u2019s internal armed conflict, tilted towards de la Espriella.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"who-is-ivan-cepeda\">Who is Ivan Cepeda?<\/h2>\n<p>Senator Ivan Cepeda is running as the nominee for the country\u2019s left-wing governing coalition, known as Historic Pact.<\/p>\n<p>Cepeda has promised to continue with Petro\u2019s efforts to reduce social and economic inequality.<\/p>\n<p>But one of the prevailing issues in this year\u2019s election has been security, as Colombia continues to contend with its six-decade-long internal <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2022\/6\/29\/colombia-truth-commission-presents-final-report-on-civil-conflict\">conflict<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Petro has sought to defuse that conflict through <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/longform\/2026\/5\/29\/colombias-total-peace-plan-a-failure-or-unfinished-business-for-petro\">negotiations with armed groups<\/a>, as part of a policy called \u201cTotal Peace\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>While Cepeda has pledged to reform \u201cTotal Peace\u201d, he has backed the policy overall as a needed departure from decades of militarised approaches and rights abuses.<\/p>\n<p>Petro\u2019s approach, however, has faced criticism for failing to stem the conflict, with incidents of violence on the rise in recent years. The International Committee of the Red Cross, for instance, said the number of people displaced by violence doubled in the last year.<\/p>\n<p>But Cepeda has brought his own experiences with Colombia\u2019s conflict to the election.<\/p>\n<p>His father, also a senator, was assassinated in 1994 in a shooting that was widely believed to be carried out by government-backed paramilitary groups. Afterwards, Cepeda dedicated himself to advocacy on behalf of the victims of \u201cstate crimes\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>As a senator, Cepeda also accused a powerful former president, Alvaro Uribe, of collaboration with right-wing paramilitary groups. His allegations launched a years-long court case that briefly saw Uribe convicted of bribery and witness tampering, before the verdict was overturned.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"who-is-abelardo-de-la-espriella\">Who is Abelardo de la Espriella?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/6\/2\/celebration-shock-and-scepticism-follow-colombias-presidential-election\">Facing off<\/a> against Cepeda is a candidate from the far right who is, in nearly every way, his opposite.<\/p>\n<p>Criminal defence lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella has no previous political experience, though he has used that fact to his advantage, portraying himself as a successful businessman.<\/p>\n<p>De la Espriella founded a self-named clothing brand as well as a restaurant in South Florida, and he has also forged a career as a tenor, releasing classical-pop albums.<\/p>\n<p>Running with the Defenders of the Homeland Party, de la Espriella\u00a0has pledged a hardline approach to security. His platform includes ending all negotiations with armed groups and bombing their camps.<\/p>\n<p>He has also proposed the construction of 10 mega-prisons and would restart <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2021\/9\/28\/colombia-coca\">aerial fumigation efforts to kill the crops used to make cocaine.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>His supporters argue such a hardline approach is necessary to rein in Colombia\u2019s violence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course, whenever you come down with a heavy hand, there\u2019s always going to be debate,\u201d voter Maria Eugenia told The Associated Press (AP) news agency. \u201cBut some people are going to have to fall to clean up what needs to be cleaned up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Colombia has long been a close ally in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/3\/6\/in-a-bid-to-counter-china-trump-hosts-a-summit-for-latin-america-leaders\">United States<\/a>-led \u201cwar on drugs\u201d, and de la Espriella has pledged he will work closely with US President Donald Trump to ensure regional security.<\/p>\n<p>In the realm of economic policy, de la Espriella has been compared to Argentina\u2019s libertarian President <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/longform\/2026\/6\/6\/argentinas-madman-inside-the-world-of-javier-milei\">Javier Milei<\/a>, who has pushed forward a programme of sweeping austerity and deregulation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-s-at-stake\">What\u2019s at stake?<\/h2>\n<p>While Cepeda has campaigned on continuity with the current government, experts warn that a victory of de la Espriella could send Colombia veering in an uncharted direction.<\/p>\n<p>De la Espriella\u2019s platform would see Colombia withdraw from some international institutions, including the Inter-American Court for Human Rights, and he has proposed rolling back the right to access abortion, as part of his conservative social platform.<\/p>\n<p>But some of the most intense scrutiny has fallen on his security policy. Critics question whether his iron-fisted, military-led approach will exacerbate the violence Colombia already faces.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re a country that has lived through 60 years of conflict,\u201d sociologist Juan Acevedo told the AP news agency during the first round of voting. \u201cThe danger here is that we return to the times where everyone is saying that the only way to solve our problems is with bullets and more war.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-do-polls-say\">What do polls say?<\/h2>\n<p>De la Espriella is expected to hold an advantage going into the run-off, with polls consistently putting him in the lead.<\/p>\n<p>The research firm AtlasIntel, for instance, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AtlasIntelESP\/status\/2065753965233394045\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">released a poll<\/a> on June 13 showing de la Espriella with 50.9 percent of the vote, with another 43.1 percent going to Cepeda.<\/p>\n<p>Roughly 5.9 percent of voters, however, said they either did not know who to vote for or planned to nullify their votes. Those undecided and protest voters could be critical in determining the outcome.<\/p>\n<p>Critics also underscore that polls do not necessarily predict the outcome of any race. After all, in round one of Colombia\u2019s presidential election, it was de la Espriella who trailed in the polls \u2014 but he ultimately landed in first place.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-has-donald-trump-said-about-the-election\">What has Donald Trump said about the election?<\/h2>\n<p>Trump has repeatedly endorsed right-wing candidates in Latin America\u2019s elections, and he has continued that trend with Colombia.<\/p>\n<p>Following de la Espriella\u2019s success in the first round of voting, Trump congratulated the far-right candidate and compared himself to the 47-year-old.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbelardo fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America,\u201d Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/116727049222420250\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">posted<\/a> on Truth Social on June 10.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause of his tremendous accomplishments in life, and his political support for me, it is my Honor to give Abelardo my Complete and Total Endorsement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his post, Trump expressed affinity for de la Espriella\u2019s hardline platform on crime, drug trafficking and immigration, priorities he shares.<\/p>\n<p>He also blasted Cepeda as a \u201cRadical Left Marxist\u201d and suggested that Colombia\u2019s relationship with the US could be set back if the left-wing candidate wins.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe results of this Election are very important to the future of Colombia and its relationship to the United States which, if Abelardo wins, and because of his competence and love of his Country, will have the total support and strength of the United States behind him,\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n<p>De la Espriella responded with a social media <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ABDELAESPRIELLA\/status\/2062137437325766972\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">post<\/a> of his own, thanking Trump.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith my head held high and a heart full of patriotic gratitude, I receive your words and your steadfast support,\u201d de la Espriella said.<\/p>\n<p>But Trump\u2019s endorsement has triggered concern that he might seek to influence the outcome of Colombia\u2019s election.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, US Representative Jesus \u201cChuy\u201d Garcia <a href=\"https:\/\/chuygarcia.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/congressman-garcia-leads-colleagues-in-letter-opposing-us-interference-in-colombia-s-presidential-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">issued<\/a> a statement calling Trump\u2019s actions \u201cshameless interference\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur government must respect, not undermine, the democracy and sovereignty of our neighbors in the region,\u201d Garcia wrote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Voters in Colombia are preparing to head to the polls for the second time in less than a month to decide who will be the South American country\u2019s next president. But the two candidates competing in Sunday\u2019s run-off offer starkly differing visions for the country\u2019s future. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of &#8230; <a title=\"Continuity or change? What to know about Colombia\u2019s run-off election\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/18\/continuity-or-change-what-to-know-about-colombias-run-off-election\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Continuity or change? What to know about Colombia\u2019s run-off election\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}