June 21, 2026Updated 9:03 p.m. ET

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Abelardo De La Espriella, a criminal defense lawyer with no previous political experience, appeared headed for a razor-thin victory on Sunday in Colombia’s presidential election, in what would be a win for his fervent supporters, the global right and President Trump, who had endorsed him.

Mr. De La Espriella — who transformed himself from sharply dressed Miami lawyer to populist in a soccer jersey and a straw hat — won 49.7 percent of the vote with more than 99 percent of the votes counted, according to preliminary official results. Iván Cepeda, a leftist senator and a longtime human rights advocate received 48.7 percent.

His victory would return Colombia to conservative rule after four years under Gustavo Petro, the country’s first leftist president. It would also advance Latin America’s broader shift to the right in Mr. Trump’s second term.

As word of the results spread, Bogotá, the capital, exploded with the din of shouts, car horns and vuvuzelas. People rushed into the streets, whether to celebrate or to march in opposition. President Petro said online that there would be “no president” until the votes had been scrutinized, which is the usual process — but cries of “Out with Petro” filled the air.

In Barranquilla, on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast, fireworks erupted and supporters of Mr. De La Espriella waved flares as they waited for him to appear. Speaking to a news outlet, Mr. De La Espriella said, “We defeated the regime.”

Mr. Cepeda told supporters in Bogotá that he would await the full vote review but accepted the preliminary results. Remarking on the millions who voted for his leftist government, Mr. Cepeda said, “We stand before the Colombian people to tell you that we are an undeniable force in Colombia.”

On Sunday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media that he had called Mr. De La Espriella to congratulate him. ”The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration” he wrote.

Mr. De La Espriella, 47, ran a high-voltage campaign complete with machine-generated flames; A.I. videos of tigers, his mascot; and pounding anti-Petro chants that made him something like a celebrity.

He also vowed to “disembowel” Colombia’s left and asked the Trump administration to target his political opponents, leading critics to call him an autocrat in the making.

The results, which were announced by the government agency overseeing the election, revealed the highest voter turnout since Colombia put in place a two-round voting system more than three decades ago, as well as the closest margin between two candidates.

Mr. De La Espriella ran on a platform now popular among right-wing leaders across the region: He vowed to restore security amid crime concerns, rescue the country from what he portrayed as economic ruin created by the left, and crack down on corruption.

His campaign was stridently nationalistic, claiming the flag, the Colombian national soccer jersey and the patriotic slogan “Firme por la patria!” — “Standing firm for the homeland!”

It nevertheless borrowed ideas, and a deft social media strategy, from the iron-fisted leader of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, and from Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, two hugely popular figures in Latin America.

Like those leaders, Mr. De La Espriella adopted an aggressive tone. He promised to build megaprisons and to claw back the country from progressive politics and “gender ideology,” putting God and family first.

His vow to hunt down criminals and crush Colombia’s “narcoterrorists”— a term borrowed from Mr. Trump — resonated with supporters while alarming those who opposed him, raising the specter of more bloodshed and authoritarianism.

“It sounds like a military regime,” said Andro Giovanny Camelo, a 44-year-old taxi driver in Bogotá.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/21/world/americas/colombia-election-de-la-espriella.html?unlocked_article_code=1.r1A.RQCi.qhtI9DIkrrpj&smid=url-share