Ivan Cepeda concedes defeat in Colombia’s nail‑biting presidential run‑off
In a fiercely contested election, left‑wing candidate Ivan Cepeda handed the presidency to business‑turned‑politician Abelardo de la Espriella after preliminary tallies revealed a winning margin of just 0.96 percentage points.
Cepeda, who originally pledged to wait for the final, legally binding results, announced on Wednesday that he “decided to accept the result.” He criticized Donald Trump for endorsing de la Espriella and calling him a “radical left Marxist,” alleging that the US president had interfered in Colombia’s internal affairs.
In promoting unity, Cepeda stated that he was giving up the race “as an act of democratic responsibility; I do so to contribute to co‑existence, to peace, and to dialogue among Colombians.” He also confirmed that, as the runner‑up, he will sit in the Senate, where he plans to act as “a democratic, vigilant and constructive opposition.”
De la Espriella’s campaign promised a calm victory speech, assuring supporters that opponents would “have nothing to fear.” The new president is expected to deepen ties with the United States, a relationship already strengthening under his opponent Gustavo Petro, who had clashed with Trump over policy issues.
The runoff, which recorded a historically high voter turnout, marked a pivotal moment in Colombia’s political landscape. De la Espriella, slated to take office on 7 August, has already hinted at joining the US‑led “Shield of the Americas” alliance to fight crime and drug trafficking.
