Colombia heads to runoff after tight first round
Colombia is set for a closely contested presidential runoff on June 21 after far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Senator Iván Cepeda emerged as the top contenders in the first round of voting, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
With 99.99% of ballots counted, de la Espriella secured 43.70% of the vote, or more than 10 million ballots, while Cepeda received 40.93%, or more than 9.6 million votes. Neither candidate obtained the absolute majority required to win outright.
The election highlighted deep political divisions in the South American nation, where voters are increasingly focused on security concerns amid rising violence by armed groups.
De la Espriella, a political outsider known as "El Tigre" (The Tiger), campaigned on a promise to crack down on criminal organizations and has often expressed admiration for U.S. President Donald Trump.
Addressing supporters after the vote, he called for international scrutiny of the runoff election.
"Let the United States of America and democratic parties monitor this runoff election. I will lead this battle; I will be Colombia's best warrior," de la Espriella said.
Meanwhile, Cepeda and outgoing President Gustavo Petro questioned the preliminary results, alleging irregularities without presenting evidence.
"Only when the vote-counting commissions have fully clarified what happened will we comment on tonight's results," Cepeda said, while acknowledging that the race was heading to a second round.
The result was also a major setback for traditional conservative forces. Paloma Valencia, backed by former President Álvaro Uribe, won less than 7% of the vote.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported on Venezuela’s political uncertainty months after Maduro’s removal from power.
