Colombia votes in runoff pitting leftist reformer against law-and-order newcomer

On 21 June 2026, Colombians voted in a presidential runoff between Abelardo de la Espriella, a Trump-backed candidate, and a leftist senator who was an ally of Gustavo Petro. The vote took place amid security fears and a tense, divided atmosphere.

A preliminary count showed De la Espriella winning by a very narrow margin. La Nación wrote that his win ends the cycle of Petro. The governing camp's candidate lost and asked supporters to stay vigilant as the count continued. The result was described as coming from one of the closest elections in Colombia's history.