Trump-backed de la Espriella wins preliminary count in razor-tight Colombian presidential runoff
By Ines Capdevila, Max Feliu, Alessandra Freitas, Michael Rios Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the "Defenders of the Homeland" movement and his vice-presidential running mate, Jose Manuel Restrepo, ride in a bulletproof booth toward a celebration rally after election results showed him leading in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. Rodrigo Abd/AP Far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who was endorsed by US President Donald Trump, won the preliminary count of the presidential race in Colombia on Sunday, clinching a narrow margin over his government-backed rival Iván Cepeda. De La Espriella claimed victory, telling a crowd of supporters in the coastal city of Barranquilla that the “historic” result would “change the course of Colombia’s history forever.” But his rival, Cepeda, has urged voters to wait for the final, binding count.Abelardo de la Espriella supporters in the Colombian capital Bogota Reuters