Colombia's conservative outsider de la Espriella confirmed as president after rival concedes
The national electoral authority finalized the official vote count on Wednesday, cementing Abelardo de la Espriella's victory over left-wing senator Iván Cepeda by less than one percentage point. Cepeda had conceded hours earlier, defusing weeks of tension.
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.
He added: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.
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.
- Runoff vote held; pre-count shows de la Espriella leading by less than one point.
- Protests erupt in Bogotá and Cali; EU mission finds no irregularities.
- CNE formal scrutiny begins.
- Cepeda concedes; CNE completes scrutiny, proclaims de la Espriella winner.
- Official credential ceremony scheduled.
- Abelardo de la Espriella
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- Iván Cepeda
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CNE president Cristian Quiroz described the process as a rigorous verification.
The EU observation mission had earlier said it found no irregularities.The national scrutiny is not merely a formality, but the most rigorous verification of the popular will.
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.
De la Espriella's team responded by guaranteeing the right to peaceful protest and political opposition.We will assume, if necessary, resistance and peaceful civil disobedience.
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.
