Abelardo de la Espriella, a far-right millionaire lawyer who admires Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele, has been elected Colombia's next president, defeating leftist Iván Cepeda by just 250,000 votes out of 41 million eligible voters. The victory marks a sharp shift to the right after the term of Gustavo Petro, the country's first leftist president.
Concerns over democratic institutions
De la Espriella, who calls himself 'El Tigre,' has vowed to 'disembowel' the left, use lethal force against protesters, and kill criminals like 'rats and cockroaches.' Analysts warn that his agenda poses an unprecedented institutional threat. 'It frightens me,' said Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, co-founder of feminist magazine Volcánicas. 'Despite Colombia's strong institutions, we're facing an institutional threat unlike anything we've experienced before.'
His election is part of a far-right wave in Latin America, following leaders like Javier Milei in Argentina and Nayib Bukele in El Salvador. De la Espriella has promised to emulate Bukele's crackdown on gangs and shrink the state by 40%, a move some analysts say could trigger economic crisis and strengthen criminal groups by creating a vacuum.
Background and rise
Born in Bogotá but raised in Córdoba, De la Espriella is the son of a former Liberal congressman. He built his legal career defending paramilitary leaders and high-profile clients, including a pastor accused of sexual abuse, a pyramid scheme head, and Alex Saab, a alleged frontman for Venezuela's Maduro regime. His campaign says his court success laid the foundation for his fortune, though investigations show most of his businesses operate at a loss.
He obtained US citizenship in 2023 and frequently flaunted a lavish lifestyle on social media. In July 2024, after a senator was assassinated, he announced his presidential run, vowing to fight corruption and crime with an 'iron fist.' His rallies featured drone shows, AI-generated videos, and bulletproof enclosures, drawing comparisons to a popemobile.
Controversial policies and rhetoric
De la Espriella has promised to withdraw Colombia from the UN, extradite Petro to the US, build 10 mega-prisons, legalize civilian gun ownership, and kill 10 major crime leaders within three months. He supports fossil fuel extraction and fracking. He also plans to issue 90 executive decrees on his first day, a style reminiscent of Ecuador's Daniel Noboa.
He has filed over 100 lawsuits against journalists and been accused of homophobia and sexism. In a statement, he said his government would not persecute anyone based on sexual orientation. However, Ana Bejarano Ricaurte of legal advocacy group El Veinte said, 'His rhetoric is misogynistic and full of hatred and exclusion, and people voted for him because of it. That is a deeply alarming sign for the health of our nation.'
