PP and Vox celebrate De la Espriella’s victory in Colombia, while the Government remains silent

Eduardo González The People's Party (PP) and Vox have celebrated the victory of right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella in the second round of the Colombian presidential elections, while the government of Pedro Sánchez has yet to comment. With virtually all votes counted, the candidate of the far-right movement Defenders of the Homeland, Abelardo de la Espriella, has obtained 49.66 percent of the vote, with a lead of just one percent over the leftist candidate, Iván Cepeda, of the Historical Pact, who obtained 48.70 percent. This result is sufficient for the businessman and lawyer to assume the Presidency of Colombia on August 7 for a four-year term (2026-2030). As is common in many elections, the vote was different among the Colombian diaspora. In Spain, Iván Cepeda won with 49.84 percent of the vote (66,945 votes), while Abelardo De la Espriella came in second by a very narrow margin, with 48.71 percent and 65,426 votes. More than 300,000 Colombians were eligible to vote in Spain, at the consulates in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. The Colombian community in Spain is one of the largest and most active in Europe. De la Espriella, an avowed admirer of US President Donald Trump, comes from the private sector and based his campaign on defending conservative ideas and private enterprise. Senator Cepeda, a member of the Historic Pact (the coalition that enabled Gustavo Petro to become the first left-wing president in Colombian history), is the son of Manuel Cepeda Vargas, a senator and historical leader of the Colombian left who was assassinated in 1994 by paramilitaries. The Spanish government has not yet commented on these results in Colombia, but the People's Party (PP) and Vox have. "My congratulations, Abelardo de la Espriella, on your victory," posted PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo on social media. "Good news for Colombia and for all of Latin America," he continued. "I wish you success in the challenges ahead and in the task of improving the lives of all Colombians," he added. "Colombians have given Abelardo de la Espriella the victory and have said enough to the narco-socialism of Petro and his successors," posted Vox leader Santiago Abascal. "Freedom, order, truth, and the sovereignty of nations are making their way forward with force in Latin America," he continued. "Congratulations, dear Abelardo. Onward, Colombia!" he concluded.

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