Trump-Backed 'El Tigre' Stuns Colombia, Petro Cries Foul

Abelardo de la Espriella, the pro-Trump Colombian outsider known as "El Tigre," is on track to become Colombia's next president after a razor-thin runoff that would return the country to the right after four years under leftist President Gustavo Petro.

With nearly all votes counted, de la Espriella led leftist Sen. Iván Cepeda by roughly one point, 49.7 percent to 48.7 percent, according to preliminary results released by electoral authorities. Election officials had not formally declared a winner Sunday night, but de la Espriella declared victory, and Cepeda said his campaign would challenge results from more than 30,000 voting stations.

Colombia delivered a rebuke to Petro's left-wing project, his failed "total peace" strategy, and the security collapse that dominated the race.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio quickly signaled where the Trump administration stands, saying he had spoken with Colombia's president-elect and congratulated him on his victory.

Just spoke to Colombian President-Elect @ABDELAESPRIELLA 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…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) June 22, 2026

“Just spoke to Colombian President-Elect @ABDELAESPRIELLA 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.”

Trump-supporting Colombian Senator María Fernanda Cabal, a backer of Espriella, celebrated by sharing a screenshot of President Trump’s post praising Espriella’s apparent victory in Colombia’s presidential race.

“He Won, BIG” @POTUS 🐅🐅🐅 pic.twitter.com/gewap3W73e
— María Fernanda Cabal (@MariaFdaCabal) June 22, 2026

De la Espriella stunned pollsters in the first round on May 31 after putting crime, cartel violence, and security at the center of his campaign.

Under Petro, armed groups expanded their influence, cocaine production remained at record levels, extortion surged, and violence returned to areas that had stabilized after the 2016 peace agreement. Homicides reached 14,780 last year, the highest total since at least 2015, while extortion cases hit 13,417 in 2025, more than double the number from a decade earlier.

De la Espriella pledged to end Petro's negotiations with criminal groups, expand military operations against cartels and guerrilla organizations, restore aerial coca eradication, and build mega-prisons modeled after El Salvador President Nayib Bukele's anti-gang crackdown.

Colombia's Pro-Trump 'El Tigre' Tops First Round As Petro Ally Falls Short

Cepeda offered more Petro: social spending, labor reforms, peace talks with armed groups, and a moratorium on new oil projects. De la Espriella promised security, energy, tax cuts, a smaller state, and closer cooperation with Washington.

Violence shadowed the contest from start to finish. Conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot during a campaign event and later died. Candidates campaigned under heavy security as bombings, kidnappings, threats, and attacks remained part of Colombia's political landscape.

De la Espriella delivered his victory speech in Barranquilla from behind bulletproof glass.

"I appear before you tonight to announce the most important news of my life: the Colombian people have entrusted me with the supreme honor of serving them as their next president of the Republic of Colombia," he said.
"I will govern for all Colombians. There will be no retaliation, no persecution, because in a democracy there are no irreconcilable enemies."

Cepeda declined to immediately concede, calling the count "unofficial and non-binding" and saying his campaign would challenge thousands of voting stations. Petro also questioned the preliminary results and said the official scrutiny process should be completed before a final declaration.

Then Petro went further.

In social media posts, the outgoing president called for a recount and claimed, without publicly providing evidence, that Israel had compromised Colombia's election software. Petro alleged that changes to server IP addresses showed the system had been penetrated and argued that election authorities should conduct a full audit while the count continues.

"The only entity in the world capable of doing that is the State of Israel," Petro wrote.

Supporters of the leftist coalition protested in several cities after the results were announced. Demonstrators gathered in Bogotá outside Corferias, the country's largest polling station, while clashes were reported in Cali, where protesters burned U.S. flags and confronted police.

De la Espriella called on Petro and Cepeda to respect the result and warned them not to "unleash social unrest.”

Colombia remains the world's largest cocaine producer and one of Washington's most important partners in Latin America. De la Espriella has repeatedly called for closer cooperation with the United States on counternarcotics operations, border security, and organized crime.

Rubio's statement hit the same themes de la Espriella emphasized throughout the campaign: regional security, illegal immigration, and economic ties.

Three weeks ago, after finishing first in the opening round, de la Espriella told supporters:

"We advanced to the runoff thanks to the more than 10 million Colombians who answered the roar. In 21 days, we will make history.”

Now, barring a reversal in the official scrutiny process, Petro's project is headed out, and "El Tigre" is headed to the presidential palace.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.

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