Colombia is voting today in a high-stakes presidential runoff between leftist senator Iván Cepeda and right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, a contest that will determine whether the country continues leftist policies or shifts sharply to the right amid surging violence.
In the May 31 first round, de la Espriella garnered 44 percent of the vote while Cepeda earned 41 percent, according to official results. More than 41 million Colombians are eligible to vote, with polls open until 4 p.m. local time. The winner will replace outgoing President Gustavo Petro, who is constitutionally barred from seeking another term.
The two candidates represent opposing visions for tackling Colombia’s security crisis. De la Espriella, a political newcomer nicknamed “The Tiger,” has promised to fiercely pursue criminals and build 10 mega-prisons, emulating El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s hard-line approach. Cepeda wants to carry on Petro’s “total peace” strategy, negotiating pacts with guerrillas and criminal gangs despite the strategy’s limited success so far.
Violence has roared back in Colombia over the past decade. Last year, authorities recorded 14,780 homicides, the most since at least 2015 and driven by clashes among illegal armed groups competing for drug-trafficking profits. Extortions have also soared, reaching 13,417 cases in 2025, more than double the number recorded in 2015.
The election comes 10 years after Colombia signed a historic peace pact with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, that had offered hope of breaking the nation’s vicious cycle of violence. But most rebel groups abandoned their ideologically driven fight for the financial benefits of drug trafficking, and the peace agreement has struggled to take hold.
Petro has endorsed de la Espriella, claiming without evidence that the first-round results were tainted by fraud after Cepeda, who had consistently led polls, finished second. On Sunday, Petro reiterated his fraud allegations, saying his movement would provide details about “all the accounts and funds that were transacted from abroad.” De la Espriella has also received the endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump, while Petro has accused Washington of abandoning its anti-drug mission for ideological reasons.
The runoff has been marked by increasing verbal attacks between the candidates and accusations of fraud, vote-buying, and intimidation. Cepeda filed a complaint with the Colombian Attorney General’s Office and the International Criminal Court against de la Espriella, accusing him of having ties to paramilitary groups. De la Espriella has denied the accusation.
Cepeda’s “total peace” strategy took until this week to see its first armed group—one with about 100 members—give up its weapons and begin reintegration into civilian life. Colombia’s illegal armed groups have more than 27,000 members, underscoring the vast scope of Cepeda’s negotiation challenge. A retired teacher in Bogotá who supports Cepeda argued that Petro’s plans need more time to bear results given that the conflict has lasted six decades.
Colombia’s election reflects a broader rightward shift across Latin America. According to reporting from multiple sources, the region is undergoing a political shift to the right following the defeat of several left-wing governments. Five right-wing leaders have been elected in Latin America in less than a year, part of a wave that includes Argentina’s Javier Milei and Chile’s José Antonio Kast.
Sources
- CBS News — First-round results (44% de la Espriella, 41% Cepeda), candidate platforms, Trump endorsement, Petro’s fraud allegations, violence statistics (14,780 homicides in 2025, 13,417 extortions in 2025)
- AP News — Runoff details, candidate positions, peace pact history, Cepeda complaint against de la Espriella, de la Espriella’s mega-prison plans, first armed group disarming with 100 members, total of 27,000+ illegal armed group members
- Al Jazeera — Candidate platforms and descriptions
- Reuters — General election information and candidate descriptions
- Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and other sources — Latin America’s rightward political shift and context on regional conservative wave
