In Colombia, right-leaning candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who received public support from U.S. President Donald Trump, grew more likely to be elected the next president. But with the vote count razor-thin, the left camp raised allegations of election fraud and demanded a recount, signaling continued political turmoil.
In the Colombian presidential runoff held on the 21st (local time), Espriella won 49.65% with 99.9% of ballots counted in the electoral authority's quick count, outpacing left-leaning candidate Iván Cepeda Castro, who took 48.70%. Leading daily El Tiempo and Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported Espriella's victory was effectively confirmed.
The margin between the two candidates is only about 250,000 votes. As a result, some voices urged caution, saying it is too early to call the race. The daily El Espectador said, "The final result will be confirmed through the official tally," noting that the election process is not yet completely finished.
The left camp pushed back immediately. President Gustavo Petro had earlier posted videos on his social media (SNS) that he claimed were examples of election fraud. He also said, "Because the gap is very narrow, we must wait for the final count."
Cepeda's camp also issued an emergency statement, saying it would challenge the count from some 33,000 ballot boxes nationwide. The campaign said it could not acknowledge the election result "until the official count is fully completed," and demanded a recount. It also said it could not rule out the possibility that the result could flip if errors in some ballots are corrected.
Accordingly, legal and political battles over the election result are expected to continue until the final winner is confirmed. There are also concerns that, in Colombia, where conflict between the left and right has intensified in recent years, the dispute over refusing to accept the election result could spill over into social division.
If Espriella's victory is finalized, Colombia would return to a right-wing government four years after the launch of the left-leaning Petro administration in 2022. The so-called "blue tide (Blue Tide·right-wing wave of power)" trend—where conservative governments have taken office in Latin American countries such as Chile, Costa Rica, and Bolivia in recent years—is also expected to gain further momentum.
Espriella surged in this election by touting hard-line public security policies and a pro-market economic course. He rallied conservative support with pledges to restore relations with the United States and take a tough line against drug cartels. The next president will be inaugurated on Aug. 7.