Colombia is heading toward a high-stakes presidential runoff on June 21 after a volatile first round of voting on Sunday. Abelardo de la Espriella, candidate for the Defensores de la Patria movement, secured 43.74% of the vote—totaling 10.3 million ballots—surpassing initial polling expectations. His opponent in the second round will be the Pacto Histórico candidate, Iván Cepeda, who captured 40.9% of the vote, representing 9.6 million ballots, according to La Tercera and BioBioChile.
The results have triggered a political firestorm, with President Gustavo Petro publicly rejecting the preliminary count, known as the preconteo. Petro cited a discrepancy of approximately 800,000 ballots, alleging that the software's algorithms were altered three times in the final week and that the count included 800,000 more individuals than the official census. “As president, I do not accept the results of the preconteo by the private firm of the Bautista brothers,” Petro stated, as reported by La Tercera.
Iván Cepeda echoed the president’s skepticism, claiming his coalition remains the country's primary political force despite the reported numbers. “Today we obtained 10 million votes that were poorly counted in Colombia,” Cepeda said, as reported by La Tercera. He noted that there is a confusing discrepancy of 862,000 people or identification cards that the coalition intends to verify.
De la Espriella responded to the criticism during a rally in Barranquilla, where he arrived by boat on the Magdalena River. Speaking from a stage protected by armored glass and decorated in national colors, he directed harsh language at both his political rivals. “Petro, Cepeda, a pair of criminals, do not dare, do not even think about ignoring the popular will because here there is a people who will face you and defeat you,” De la Espriella said, as cited by BioBioChile.
During his address, De la Espriella characterized the upcoming runoff as a binary choice between those who defend democracy and those representing the current administration. He further escalated his rhetoric, labeling Cepeda a “narcoterrorist” and calling President Petro a “drug addict and miserable.” He emphasized that “there is no longer room for difference” and called for the unification of opposition sectors to secure victory in the second round.
Paloma Valencia, the uribista candidate who finished third with 6.9% of the vote, was acknowledged by De la Espriella during his speech. He praised her as a “patriotic woman” who deserves “all respect, admiration, and consideration.” The election results were delivered with unusual speed, with nearly 98% of polling stations reporting just 90 minutes after voting closed, a pace that contributed to the intensity of the subsequent political dispute.
