Colombia runoff pits de la Espriella against Cepeda over security

Colombians voted in a sharply polarised presidential runoff between Abelardo de la Espriella and Ivan Cepeda. The result will shape whether the country doubles down on force or persists with peace talks amid rising violence.

In Short

• More than 41 million Colombians were eligible to vote in the runoff
• Petro again alleged irregularities after his ally trailed in first-round voting
• Homicides reached 14,780 last year, the highest level since 2015

Colombians voted on Sunday in a deeply polarised presidential runoff that has pitched businessman and lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella against Senator Ivan Cepeda, the political heir to outgoing President Gustavo Petro. The two candidates, who finished ahead of nine others in the May 31 first round, have offered sharply different answers to the country’s worsening security crisis, a struggling health system, rising public debt and entrenched corruption.

The election has unfolded amid fears of renewed internal conflict, with both candidates framing their campaigns around how to prevent a return to the violence of earlier decades marked by car bombs, kidnappings, disappearances and forced displacement. De la Espriella, a conservative outsider, has proposed a hardline security approach and has won the endorsement of US President Donald Trump, while Cepeda has promised to continue Petro’s efforts to open talks with multiple illegal armed groups despite limited results so far.

In Bogota, voter John Manrique voiced concern over the mood in the country. “Right now, what worries me is the polarisation that exists between us: there are two very extreme sides, and the violence is concerning,” he said while walking his dog. “What I hope is that people accept who won. Let’s accept it, regardless of the side, and try to reach a social consensus. Let’s not go out and fight.”

Official results from the first round showed de la Espriella with 44 per cent of the vote and Cepeda with 41 per cent. After Cepeda, who had consistently led opinion polls before the May vote, failed to win outright and even finished behind de la Espriella, Petro cast doubt on the result without offering evidence. He repeated those allegations on Sunday, saying shortly before polling began, “We must protect the vote, undoubtedly.” Petro added that his movement would provide details about “all the accounts and funds that were transacted from abroad”, and said unidentified actors “tried to enslave the people of Colombia by taking away their freedom to decide”. More than 41 million people were eligible to vote, with polling scheduled to continue until 4 pm local time.

The runoff comes 10 years after Colombia signed a historic peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, raising hopes of ending decades of conflict between rebels and the state. But violence has since returned, particularly as many armed groups shifted from ideological fighting to the profits of drug trafficking. Authorities recorded 14,780 homicides last year, the highest number since at least 2015, driven by clashes among illegal armed groups. Among those killed was conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe. Extortion has also risen sharply, reaching 13,417 cases in 2025, more than double the number recorded in 2015.

De la Espriella, a political newcomer known as “The Tiger”, has promised an aggressive crackdown on crime and the construction of 10 mega-prisons, drawing comparisons with the policies of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, whose measures have reduced homicide rates but also led to allegations of human rights abuses. Cepeda, on the other hand, wants to continue Petro’s troubled “total peace” plan through negotiations with guerrilla groups and criminal gangs. The strategy, launched in 2022, did not produce the first disarmament by an armed group until Thursday, when a group of about 100 members gave up its weapons and began a resettlement process ahead of reintegration into civilian life. Colombia’s illegal armed groups are estimated to have more than 27,000 members.

Yamile Guevara, a retired teacher in Bogota who supports Cepeda, said Petro’s approach needed more time. She said no president could be expected to resolve a conflict that has lasted six decades in a single term, and criticised what she described as the public’s long-running distrust of the left because of its historic association with rebel groups. “The left has always been viewed negatively; it has been harsh, and many people have died,” Guevara said. “So, one wonders what’s wrong with people who have forgotten history how can they not think carefully about which candidate they are going to elect?”

The run-up to Sunday’s vote also saw a rise in verbal attacks between the candidates, along with allegations of fraud, vote-buying and intimidation. Cepeda filed a complaint with Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office and the International Criminal Court, accusing de la Espriella of links to paramilitary groups, an allegation de la Espriella has denied. As Colombians cast their ballots, the contest came down to a stark choice between a hardline security strategy and Petro’s negotiation-based approach, against the backdrop of a country again grappling with violence and political division.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends