What Colombia's Runoff Was About
The Stakes De la Espriella and Cepeda Set

← Back to Latin America News

[Update, July 20, 2026] This piece was written 11 days before the runoff. On June 21, De la Espriella won with 12,960,166 votes (49.66%) to Cepeda's 12,708,312 (48.70%) — about 250,000 votes, or 0.96 points, the narrowest runoff margin in Colombian history. Turnout was 63.6%, the highest since runoffs began. Cepeda conceded while contesting the count at some polling stations. He takes office on August 7. Read what follows as pre-vote analysis.

Colombia's May 31 first round laid bare the division everyone had foreseen. The right-wing Abelardo de la Espriella came first with 43.7%, with the left-wing Iván Cepeda close behind at 40.9%. In a crowded field of 13, the gap was just 2.8 points. Until the June 21 runoff, where the remaining votes go will decide it.

The De la Espriella phenomenon

A former criminal defense lawyer, De la Espriella names Donald Trump and Argentina's Milei as his models. Mega-prisons, an expanded military role in security, a small state: that platform pulled in an urban middle class worn out by rising crime, and the business sector with it. His 43.7% beats the more than 40% Petro took in 2022. Some analysts now say right-wing populism has put down roots in Colombia.

The Petro shadow over Cepeda

Iván Cepeda is a human rights activist and senator who has tracked those issues for years. He studied philosophy in Bulgaria and holds a master's in philosophy from France (University of Lyon). He flatly promises "continuity" with the Petro government, building his platform around expanded social protection and land reform. But Petro's record divides voters. The health reform around the EPS insurers stalled, the response to worsening security came late, and both feed the criticism. "Finishing what Petro started" is, in itself, a risk in voters' eyes.

Where the votes go

Those placing third and below add up to about 15%. Where that scattered vote moves is the key to the runoff. Many expect centrist votes to drift structurally toward De la Espriella. The urban poor, rural areas and social movements, on the other hand, are seen as likelier to swing to Cepeda. Colombia has not joined Trump's "Shield of the Americas" anti-cartel bloc, launched in March. If De la Espriella wins, membership turns realistic, and the relationship with Washington could change sharply. (Update: De la Espriella did win. Whether Colombia joins will be decided after he takes office on August 7.)

June 21 decides more than a president's name. It also decides whether Colombia joins Trump's bloc or holds Petro's line and keeps its distance from Washington.

※ This article is the author’s commentary based on public information. Please confirm the latest figures, dates and procedures with governments and primary sources. Quotations are kept minimal and sources are cited.