Colombia's Right Wing Makes a Comeback: What This Means for the Nation

Up-to-date information: Saturday, June 22, 2026 / 6:19 AM EDT / CBS/AFP

Welcome to our coverage of the Colombian presidential election results. A flamboyant U.S.-backed lawyer, Abelardo de la Espriella, has won the polarizing runoff election, swinging Colombia hard right and sparking violent protests.

With almost all the ballots counted, de la Espriella held 49.66% of the vote versus left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda's 48.70%. The 47-year-old's win has triggered demonstrations, but will ease ties with Washington and extend a regional right-wing wave centered on 'iron fist' security policies.

"We are beginning a new era!" he told supporters in the Caribbean city of Barranquilla from behind thick bulletproof glass. "For those who have sown violence, terror, drug trafficking, and corruption all these years, their time is up!" he said, echoing his vow to wage war against drug-running guerrilla groups.

President Trump cheered the result, exclaiming "He Won, BIG!" as a host of right-wing leaders from across the Americas clamored to offer congratulations and support. However, the campaign was marred by guerrilla bomb attacks and the murder of a leading conservative presidential candidate, leaving a divided nation to question how de la Espriella will unite them.

As night fell, thousands of protestors gathered in Colombia's largest cities. In Cali, some burned American flags as others wielded steel bars and clashed with riot police, who tried to disperse the crowd with teargas. There was also unrest in the capital Bogota, where demonstrators burned tires and hurled bricks at police.

"We've already had many years of right-wing governments that care only about making the rich richer," 26-year-old student Natalia told AFP. However, elsewhere, there was elation. De la Espriella supporters poured onto the streets of several cities wearing the canary-yellow national football jersey he'd adopted as a campaign uniform. They waved flags, blew horns and expressed hope that "The Tiger," as they call him, would bring security.

"I'm very happy," said 30-year-old supporter Daniela Oliveros in Barranquilla. "I believe a lot in the country, I believe a lot in freedom." "Abelardo, at this moment, is giving us above all a sense of security, employment, and dignity," she said. With only a few hundred thousand votes separating the two candidates, de la Espriella used his victory speech to try to calm his critics.

"Mine will be an absolutely democratic government and a guarantor of freedom and institutional order," he said, vowing to respect all races, religions, and political stripes. "I will govern for all Colombians, for those who voted for me and for those who chose another candidate," he added. His win marks a return to power for Colombia's right wing, which has ruled for all but four of the last 200 years.

It is likely to test Colombia's fragile decade-old peace process. During the campaign, the dual U.S.-Colombian national told AFP he would scrap peace talks with dissident groups and launch a 90-day campaign of U.S.-backed airstrikes against them. In the 10 years since a landmark peace accord was signed with FARC guerrillas, much of Colombia has prospered. But cartels and dissident groups still control pockets of the country, cocaine exports are at an all-time high, and Colombia remains one of the world's most economically unequal countries.

"Colombia's best days are ahead," said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, adding that Washington "looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration." His opponent, Cepeda, a 63-year-old leftist senator, stopped short of conceding defeat. "Once the count has been completed and its final result is known, and the corresponding checks have been carried out, we will acknowledge the official result," he told supporters.

The result has sparked widespread debate about Colombia's future. Some fear de la Espriella's iron-fisted approach to security will lead to more violence and human rights abuses, while others hope his policies will bring economic growth and stability.

As the country navigates this new era, one thing is certain: Abelardo de la Espriella's presidency will have far-reaching implications for Colombia's politics, economy, and society. Only time will tell how his administration will address the complex challenges facing this South American nation.