The presidential elections come after one of the most brutal campaigns in recent years and could determine Colombia's future political direction. The Colombian electoral commission reported that after the count, 99 percent Abelardo de la Espriella won 44 percent of the votes. support, and Ivan Cepeda 41 percent. – reports RTL Today.
The remaining candidates, including Paloma Valencia from the right, did not exceed seven percent. To win in the first round, a majority of votes was required, which none of the candidates obtained.
Political polarization in Colombia. Who has a chance to win?
Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old right-wing candidate, calls himself “The Tiger” and is known as a supporter of Donald Trump. Ivan Cepeda, poll leader and left-wing senator, openly criticizes the former US president and announces that if he wins, he will continue the policies of the current president, Gustavo Petro. Cepeda declares that he wants to shift the tax burden to the richest and conduct peace negotiations with the rebels.
Colombia is a country where the left remains in power, unlike other large Latin American countries such as Argentina and Chile, where Trump's allies recently won. The election result in Colombia may determine whether the country joins this regional political trend.
Fighting for the future of Colombia. Results and candidates
14 candidates ran in the elections, but only three of them had a real chance of winning. Paloma Valencia, another right-wing candidate, received less than seven percent of the vote. Ivan Cepeda is a protégé of current president Gustavo Petro, who has repeatedly criticized Donald Trump.
— After a race marked by bombings, drone attacks and the assassination of a leading presidential candidate, Colombians will have to decide on June 21 whether to continue peace talks or resort to armed repression, the electoral commission stressed.
Colombia remains Latin America's third most populous country and the world's largest producer of cocaine. The presidential elections may determine whether the country will stay on its current course or join the countries in the region that have made a political turn to the right in recent years.
