Progressive candidate concedes Colombian presidential election to Trump-backed outsider

Progressive candidate concedes Colombian presidential election to Trump-endorsed outsider 0 seconds of 51 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Colombians react to runoff election as Trump-endorsed de la Espriella holds slim lead 00:36 00:00 00:51 00:51 More Videos 00:36 Colombians react to runoff election as Trump-endorsed de la Espriella holds slim lead 01:11 Colombian presidential candidates vote in runoff round results 00:49 Labour’s Andy Burnham wins a UK special election, setting up a likely push to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer 00:49 Labour’s Andy Burnham wins a UK special election, setting up a likely push to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer 01:33 Iran's Supreme Leader endorses direct face-to -face negotiations with the U.S. 01:24 Former presidents, celebrities, join Obamas to open presidential museum in Chicago 01:07 40 mayors worldwide endorse a pact to shape data center development 01:01 Barack and Michelle Obama greeted the first visitors of the new presidential center on Juneteenth Close 1 of 6 | Progressive candidate Iván Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia’s presidential election to Abelardo de la Espriella, a conservative outsider who was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Preliminary election results showed de la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never run for office, defeated Cepeda, a lawmaker, by 1 percentage point, or nearly 251,000 votes. 2 of 6 | Ivan Cepeda concedes defeat in the presidential election at a news conference in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) 3 of 6 | Ivan Cepeda concedes defeat in the presidential election at a news conference in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) 4 of 6 | Ivan Cepeda concedes defeat in the presidential election at a news conference in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) 5 of 6 | Ivan Cepeda arrives to give a news conference where he conceded defeat in the presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) 6 of 6 | Supporters of presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact coalition react to early election results after polls closed duuring the runoff election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) By REGINA GARCIA CANO and ASTRID SUÁREZ Updated 5:33 PM MESZ, June 24, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Bogota, Colombia (AP) — Progressive candidate Iván Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia’s presidential election to Abelardo de la Espriella, a conservative outsider who was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Election results showed de la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never run for office, defeated Cepeda, a lawmaker, by 1 percentage point, or nearly 251,000 votes. “We assume with serenity, responsibility, and absolute resolve — and let there be no doubt about it — the role that circumstances demand of us,” Cepeda said in an address to the nation. “We will exercise a democratic, vigilant and constructive opposition.” The result effectively was an indictment of outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s government, whose policies Cepeda had promised to continue, including a largely failed effort to establish dialogue with multiple armed groups under a plan known as “total peace.” Electoral authorities published all but a fraction of the vote count hours after polls closed Sunday. Petro and Cepeda did not accept those results, with the latter saying he would wait for a recount to do so. Ronaldinho says ‘let the magic begin’ after signing with Italian Serie C club Ravenna at age 46 1 MIN READ Mexico, like the US, extends birthright citizenship to children born on its soil 5 MIN READ South Koreans expecting a home-game feel for World Cup group match against South Africa 2 MIN READ De la Espriella, 47, will begin a 4-year term Aug. 7. His campaign did not immediately comment on Cepeda’s concession. He proclaimed himself the winner Sunday and asked Cepeda and Petro to accept the results. His victory adds Colombia to a growing list of countries that have turned to political outsiders in search for solutions to complex social, security and economic challenges. The self-proclaimed representative of “the never-before-seen” promised voters fearful of renewed internal conflict to take a heavy-handed approach to combating violent crime with strategies borrowed from Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s playbook, including building mega-prisons. Those tactics have lowered homicide rates in the Central American country but have fueled accusations of human rights abuses. De la Espriella, nicknamed “The Tiger,” holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship, is a Trump supporter and a member of the Republican Party. On Tuesday, he announced he is putting together his Cabinet. He also said he plans to add Colombia to the Trump-dubbed “Shield of the Americas,” a coalition of countries purportedly aimed at cracking down on criminal groups in Latin America. More than 26 million people voted in the polarizing runoff, setting a historic record. Of those, over 426,000 people chose a third, no-name option on the ballot that allows voters to express dislike of both candidates. About 29,000 people cast blank ballots. Cepeda, during his address to the nation, repeatedly expressed his intention to play an active role in the opposition once de la Espriella is sworn in, but he did not say whether he would accept a Senate seat reserved for the runner-up in the presidential election. Cepeda, 63, is a philosopher and the son of a senator who was assassinated by military officers in 1994 during a stark moment of political violence in Colombia. The assassination led Cepeda to become a lifelong advocate for peace negotiations in the South American country, where an internal conflict has lasted decades. “Today, we represent half of Colombia at the polls,” he said. “We are a fundamental part of the nation. We are a political, social, and cultural force present in every corner of the country.” Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america