Colombia's conservative outsider de la Espriella confirmed as president after rival concedes

Concession calms political storm

After four days of uncertainty and street protests, Iván Cepeda announced from his party headquarters in central Bogotá that he accepted the runoff result.

“I have decided to accept the result that comes from this process and that says Abelardo de la Espriella is the new president of the Republic.”

He added:

“I do it to contribute to coexistence, peace and dialogue among Colombians.”

The concession came before the official final tally, a step Cepeda had previously insisted he would await. Shortly afterward, the left-wing Pacto Histórico withdrew its 57,000 pending claims, clearing the path for the electoral authority to conclude the scrutiny.

Official scrutiny confirms razor-thin margin

The CNE completed the national vote verification on Wednesday, declaring Abelardo de la Espriella president-elect for the 2026-2030 term. The final count gave him 12,960,166 votes (49.66%) to Cepeda's 12,708,312 (48.70%). Blank votes reached 427,026, and null and unmarked ballots pushed total participation to 26.3 million, the highest in Colombian history.

Abelardo de la Espriella12,960,166

Iván Cepeda12,708,312

Abelardo de la Espriella

12960166

Iván Cepeda

12708312

Data from the article text

CNE president Cristian Quiroz described the process as a rigorous verification.

“The national scrutiny is not merely a formality, but the most rigorous verification of the popular will.”

The EU observation mission had earlier said it found no irregularities.

A Trump-backed outsider with a controversial past

The president-elect, a 47-year-old lawyer, made his fortune defending controversial clients, including Alex Saab and pyramid-scheme operator David Murcia Guzmán. He is a self-declared admirer of Donald Trump and a Republican Party donor. De la Espriella campaigned on a hard-line security policy, promising to abandon the 'total peace' dialogue with armed groups that marked Gustavo Petro's term. He will take office on August 7, alongside vice president-elect José Manuel Restrepo.

Left pledges opposition, draws red lines

Cepeda said Pacto Histórico will provide a democratic, vigilant opposition. He warned against US interference, homophobic and misogynistic policies, and any erosion of social rights.

“We will assume, if necessary, resistance and peaceful civil disobedience.”

De la Espriella's team responded by guaranteeing the right to peaceful protest and political opposition.

Football offers a moment of unity

Amid the political tension, the men's national football team qualified for the second round of the North American World Cup, offering a rare moment of shared celebration for the country's 52 million inhabitants.