Colombia appeared to take a hard right turn Sunday, June 22, 2026, as preliminary results showed Abelardo de la Espriella winning the country’s presidential election — a result that, if it holds, would reshape the nation’s approach to security, the economy, and peace negotiations.
De la Espriella’s win, based on initial vote counts, marks a rejection of the left-leaning government that has held power in recent years. His platform drew sharp contrasts on all three of those fronts.
The campaign’s core disputes
Security and peace talks were the fault lines of the race. De la Espriella ran on a tougher posture toward armed groups — a direct challenge to the peace-process framework that his predecessor pursued. The economy was the third pillar of his pitch, though specific policy details from his campaign weren’t immediately available from preliminary reporting out of Bogotá.
No final certified totals had been released as of the early-morning count. An official result still awaited confirmation.
