Cepeda concedes Colombian presidential runoff to de la Espriella
3 verified4 unconfirmed
Colombia’s presidential runoff election pitted conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella against progressive candidate Iván Cepeda. De la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer with no prior elected office, faced Cepeda, a sitting senator. Election results, as reported by electoral authorities, showed de la Espriella winning by a narrow margin. Cepeda conceded defeat in a national address, pledging to serve as a democratic and constructive opposition. The campaign coincided with the World Cup, adding a cultural layer to the race. Outgoing President Gustavo Petro, whose policies Cepeda had promised to continue, faced an implicit referendum on his tenure.
What’s verified
Conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella and progressive candidate Iván Cepeda were the two finalists in Colombia’s presidential runoff.
De la Espriella is a businessman and lawyer who had never previously held elected office.
Cepeda is a senator.
Not yet confirmed
One source reports that de la Espriella won by 1 percentage point, or about 251,000 votes, and that Cepeda conceded on Wednesday, June 24.
The same source states that U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed de la Espriella, and that initial results were not accepted by Petro and Cepeda pending a recount.
Another source reports that de la Espriella’s campaign used Colombia’s national soccer jersey as a political symbol, that a judge ordered the campaign to stop using patriotic symbols, and that a higher court later eased that restriction.
The same source notes that the first-round vote saw de la Espriella leading with 43 percent.
Key figures
Abelardo de la Espriella: conservative outsider, businessman and lawyer, presidential candidate
Iván Cepeda: progressive senator, presidential candidate
Gustavo Petro: outgoing president of Colombia
Sources: abcnews.com, csmonitor.com
