Colombia election: Abelardo de la Espriella wins after Ivan Cepeda concedes

Bogota,UPDATED: Jun 25, 2026 02:58 IST

Progressive candidate Ivan Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia's presidential election to conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, days after a closely fought runoff that drew a record turnout. De la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer backed by US President Donald Trump, won by 1 percentage point, or nearly 251,000 votes, according to election results.

In an address to the nation, Cepeda said he would move into opposition and accepted the outcome after initially waiting for a recount. De la Espriella, 47, who has never held elected office, is due to begin his four-year term on August 7.

"We assume with serenity, responsibility, and absolute resolve - and let there be no doubt about it - the role that circumstances demand of us," Cepeda said. "We will exercise a democratic, vigilant and constructive opposition." He also accepted a Senate seat on Wednesday that is reserved for the runner-up in the presidential election.

Electoral authorities had published all but a fraction of the vote count within hours of polling ending on Sunday. Petro and Cepeda did not accept those results at the time, with Cepeda saying he would wait for a recount. De la Espriella had declared himself the winner on Sunday and urged both Cepeda and outgoing President Gustavo Petro to accept the result.

The outcome was effectively a rebuke to Petro's government, whose policies Cepeda had pledged to continue, including a largely unsuccessful effort to open dialogue with several armed groups under a plan known as "total peace". More than 26 million people voted in the polarising runoff, setting a historic record. Of them, more than 4,26,000 chose a third option on the ballot that allowed voters to show dislike for both candidates, while about 29,000 cast blank ballots.

De la Espriella, who calls himself a representative of "the never-before-seen", campaigned on a hard line against violent crime for voters worried about renewed internal conflict. He promised measures drawn from the approach of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, including building mega-prisons. Those policies have reduced homicide rates in El Salvador but have also led to allegations of human rights abuses. De la Espriella, nicknamed "The Tiger", has dual Colombian and US citizenship, backs Trump and is a member of the Republican Party.

On Wednesday, de la Espriella's campaign said it acknowledged Cepeda's concession and that his "purpose is to work for national unity, with the people and for the people". It also said his government would guarantee "the right to political opposition and peaceful protest, within the framework of the Constitution, the law, and respect for democratic institutions". A day earlier, he said he was putting together his Cabinet and planned to add Colombia to the Trump-named "Shield of the Americas", a group of countries said to be aimed at cracking down on criminal groups in Latin America.

Cepeda, 63, is a philosopher and the son of a senator who was killed by military officers in 1994 during a period of intense political violence in Colombia. That killing shaped his long-standing support for peace talks in a country that has faced decades of internal conflict. In his address, he underlined the scale of support he had received, saying, "Today, we represent half of Colombia at the polls. We are a fundamental part of the nation. We are a political, social, and cultural force present in every corner of the country." With Cepeda moving into opposition and de la Espriella preparing to take office, Colombia's presidential race has ended with a narrow result and a change in political direction.

With PTI Inputs

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