Who Is Abelardo De La Espriella? Trump-Backed 'The Tiger' Wins Colombia Presidential Election

Last Updated:June 22, 2026, 11:27 IST

Abelardo De La Espriella, backed by Donald Trump, narrowly wins Colombias presidency over Ivan Cepeda, vows tough crime policies, oil expansion and tax cuts amid divided Congress

Abelardo De La Espriella, backed by US President Donald Trump, has won Colombia’s presidential election, according to an initial ballot count, defeating leftist senator Ivan Cepeda in a closely fought runoff and signalling a sharp shift in the country’s politics.

With nearly all votes counted, De La Espriella secured 49.66 per cent of the vote, while Cepeda received 48.70 per cent, trailing by around 250,000 votes. The nationalist lawyer addressed supporters in Barranquilla, promising to govern for all Colombians, regardless of how they voted.

The victory follows an endorsement from US President Donald Trump, who congratulated De La Espriella in a phone call after the result. Nicknamed “The Tiger" by his supporters, the president-elect campaigned on promises to tackle crime, revive the economy and strengthen Colombia’s energy sector.

Tough Stance On Crime And Economy

Crime and security emerged as major issues during the campaign. De La Espriella blamed outgoing President Gustavo Petro for Colombia’s economic difficulties and worsening security situation.

He has pledged to halt peace negotiations with armed groups and instead pursue a tougher military response. His economic agenda includes restarting oil exploration, allowing fracking and nearly doubling crude production to 1.3 million barrels per day. He has also promised to cut taxes, broaden the tax base and reduce the size of the state by 40 per cent.

However, analysts say the narrow margin of victory and a divided Congress could force him to soften some proposals. He will also inherit high levels of public debt.

Cepeda told supporters in Bogotá that he would wait for the completion of a final ballot-by-ballot verification process, which is required under Colombian law and supervised by judges and notaries.

Who Is Abelardo De La Espriella?

De La Espriella is a lawyer with no previous political experience. He rose to prominence earlier this year through his tough-on-crime campaign and won the first round of voting in May with 43.7 per cent support.

He claims to have financed his campaign himself and says his movement, ‘Defenders of the Homeland’, was built without backing from traditional political parties or business groups. Reuters could not independently verify that claim.

Apart from practising law, De La Espriella owns businesses linked to wine, rum, clothing and real estate. Investigative outlet La Silla Vacia reported that several of these companies had been dissolved, were carrying debt or posted losses in 2024, while his law firm remained his most profitable business.

The president-elect’s campaign declined to answer questions from the outlet about his companies and later questioned its funding. La Silla Vacia denied allegations of bias.

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Anushka Vats

Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can ...Read More

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