Colombia votes in presidential election that could redefine relations with US

Cepeda has promised to continue with the Petro administration's policy of "total peace", which sought negotiated settlements with armed insurgent groups that engage in drug trafficking - though talks have stalled or fallen apart and there has been renewed violence. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a recent report that armed conflict in Colombia last year had affected civilians the most in a decade.De la Espriella and Valencia have vowed to launch a military crackdown if elected.Getty ImagesRight-wing presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella appeared behind bulletproof glass at a rally last weekColombia's presidential hopefuls have campaigned amid persistent political violence, with one candidate fatally shot last summer. Last week, de la Espriella appeared at a rally in Medellin behind bulletproof glass.He and Valencia have expressed a desire to restore Colombia's close security alliance with the US.Cepeda has insisted, just as Petro did, that Colombia should not be a "vassal state" to the US - though observers have noted that the two nations' historic anti-drugs co-operation has continued during even the most heated disputes.The capture by US forces of Venezuela's former President Nicolás Maduro in January has left Petro one of the region's few remaining left-wing leaders not ideologically aligned with the Trump administration.