Abelardo de la Espriella is the new president of Colombia, according to the preliminary vote count released by the National Civil Registry on June 21.
With 99.9% of polling stations reporting, De la Espriella, of the conservative Defenders of the Homeland party, secured 49.6% of the vote. His opponent, Iván Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact party, stood at 48.7%. The remaining votes were either null or blank.
De la Espriella said on Instagram that “today marks the beginning of a new chapter for our country, a chapter built upon the free and democratic will of millions of citizens who chose to believe in a Colombia that is great, secure, prosperous, and full of opportunities.”
He added that “with Godʼs help and the efforts of all Colombians, the ‘Miracle Homeland’ will become a reality.”
Moments later, in his first public appearance from the northern city of Barranquilla, De la Espriella called on the country to put division aside and pledged to be the president of all Colombians, including those who did not vote for him.
Addressing thousands of gathered supporters, the president-elect concluded his speech by asking God to bless the country. “Long live Christ the King!” De la Espriella declared.
The governmentʼs reaction
President Gustavo Petro, who campaigned for his candidate, Iván Cepeda, over the past few weeks, wrote on X that “no one can be proclaimed president” because “it is the official vote count that determines who the president is.”
For his part, Cepeda said in his first public appearance that while he accepts the preliminary unofficial vote count, his delegates intend to challenge the results from 33,000 polling stations during the official tally. On election day, Colombians cast their votes at 122,000 polling stations, both domestically and abroad.
Following the announcement of the unofficial preliminary vote count, the official validation process takes place immediately. According to the National Registry, this is “the official process of verifying and counting the votes cast in the ballot boxes, carried out by poll workers and the validation commissions …a process that guarantees the validity and transparency of the election results.”
De la Espriella’s position on life and family issues
During the election campaign, De la Espriella pledged to change current government policies regarding health, the economy, and public safety by taking an “iron-fist” approach against drug trafficking and armed groups.
Furthermore, he was the only candidate to sign the Commitment to Life and Family promoted by the United for Life platform, pledging to defend not only the family and the right to life but also freedoms related to conscience and worship, as well as the human rights enshrined in the country’s constitution and in international treaties ratified by the Colombian state.
Regarding gender ideology, De la Espriella stated on Caracol Radio that he has no issue with the homosexual community but noted that he is an “enemy of gender ideology.”
“I do not accept attempts to condition our children or to contaminate them with gender ideology in order to try to change their view of sexuality, or even of sex itself,” he said.
Regarding the legalization of marijuana, the president-elect says the plant “is a gateway to other drugs” and “there will be no room” for its legalization under his administration, according to the Defenders of the Homeland website.
Congratulations from leaders
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that he spoke “with Colombia’s President-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, to congratulate him on his electoral victory.”
“The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration to advance regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen our economic ties. Colombiaʼs best days are ahead,” Rubio stated.
The presidents of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa; Argentina, Javier Milei; and Chile, José Antonio Kast, congratulated De la Espriella on the election.
Kast wrote on X that this electoral victory marks “the beginning of a new era of freedom for Colombia that will allow them to regain security and prosperity.”
Likewise, Milei noted that, with De la Espriella, “the majority of Colombians chose the path of economic freedom, prosperity, and uncompromising security, and said ‘enough’ to transnational organized crime and drug trafficking.”
Noboa stated, “Today, Colombia chose order over impunity. Congratulations to Abelardo de la Espriella on this victory. We share the conviction that our region deserves security, progress, and governments that confront crime without excuses.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
