Overview
- The May 31 first round produced no winner, with far‑right outsider Abelardo de la Espriella taking about 43.7% and leftist Iván Cepeda about 40.9%, forcing a June 21 runoff.
- Both President Gustavo Petro and Cepeda have publicly questioned aspects of the count and asked electoral authorities to verify results, raising tensions ahead of the decisive vote.
- De la Espriella campaigned on rapid, Bukele‑style security measures including mass arrests and new mega‑prisons while Cepeda pledged to continue Petro's negotiated 'paz total' approach to armed groups.
- The campaign has been marred by killings, kidnappings and attacks that began in 2025 and continued through this election, leaving voters focused on safety and prompting international attention and endorsements for De la Espriella from Trump‑aligned figures.
- The first round exposed a realignment on the right, with traditional uribista forces and Paloma Valencia collapsing and then offering support to De la Espriella, and it leaves Colombia deciding whether to deepen military pressure on narco‑groups or renew dialogue that critics say failed to stem violence under Petro.