A nationally oriented populist admirer of Donald Trump has taken the lead in the first round of Colombia’s presidential election, setting the stage for a tense second-round showdown with a left-backed senator, as incumbent Gustavo Petro cries foul over alleged irregularities in the vote count.
Populist leads but runoff looms after tight race
A nationally oriented candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella, has secured a narrow lead in the first round of Colombia’s presidential election, held on Sunday. He will face Senator Iván Cepeda in the second round – a candidate backed by the centre-left president, Gustavo Petro.
With 99.97% of ballots counted, De la Espriella, an opposition candidate and self-described fan of Donald Trump, garnered 43.7% of the vote (just over 10.3 million votes), while Cepeda took 40.9% (approximately 9.6 million votes), according to figures published on the website of the National Registry of Civil Status.
President cries foul over “irregularities” in private tally
President Gustavo Petro has said he does not accept the preliminary results. “As president, I do not recognise the results of the preliminary count carried out by the private firm owned by the Bautista brothers,” Petro wrote on X. According to him, the counting algorithms were altered three times in a single week, and 800,000 identification numbers had been added to the system outside the official registry. He added that he would only consider and accept the results of the official verification being conducted by the National Electoral Council.
The former head of the registry, Juan Carlos Galindo Vacha, described the president’s statements as “disinformation,” noting that the discrepancy between the preliminary and official counts typically does not exceed 1%. Senator Cepeda backed the president’s position, pointing to “atypical voting patterns” at certain polling stations.
Colombia’s polling stations closed at 4 p.m. local time, and the vote count remains under way.
Runoff set for June as political temperature rises
The second round is scheduled for June 21, with the inauguration of the new president due to take place on August 7.
The election campaign unfolded against a backdrop of intense political tension and armed conflict, including the use of drones and car bomb explosions. In the run-up to the vote, the candidates were sharply divided on key issues: Iván Cepeda, a supporter of the current president, called for continued negotiations with armed groups, while his far-right opponent, Abelardo de la Espriella, promised a hardline security approach and closer co-operation with the United States.
