Colombia's far-right Espriella wins first round of presidential election

Far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella won the first round of Colombia's presidential election, securing 43.7% of the vote. He will face left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda in a runoff.

Mon Jun 01 2026

Colombia's Presidential Election First Round Results

Far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella won the first round of Colombia's presidential election, advancing to a runoff. Espriella, an admirer of former U.S. President Donald Trump, secured 43.7% of the vote, totaling over 10.3 million ballots. His rise in the polls has been rapid.

Runoff Candidates Determined

Espriella will now face Senator Iván Cepeda in the runoff election, which is scheduled in three weeks. Cepeda, a philosopher and human rights activist who has served as a senator since 2014, is backed by current left-wing President Gustavo Petro. Cepeda received 40.9% of the vote, approximately 9.6 million ballots, in the first round.

*Source: The Guardian World (2026-06-01)*

Tags: #Colombia #presidential-election #far-right #Espriella #Cepeda