Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old criminal defence lawyer with no political experience, entered Colombia’s run-off election after winning the first round in May with 44 percent of the ballots cast. By June 13, AtlasIntel placed him at 52 percent ahead of his contest with Ivan Cepeda.
San Jose del Guaviare rally
Support for de la Espriella was visible at a rally in San Jose del Guaviare, Colombia, on a recent June evening, where Luisa Castro, a former business owner, wore her own yellow football jersey. Castro said, "I turned to Abelardo de la Espriella because he is someone we’ve never seen in politics before. He’s different."
The campaign has leaned on a hardline security message. In July 2025, de la Espriella announced his candidacy in a social media video and said, "I, Abelardo de la Espriella, am capable of bombing, fumigating and striking with an iron fist against criminals and the corrupt, while embracing and protecting law-abiding Colombians."
Patricia Munoz on his base
Patricia Munoz, a political analyst at Javeriana University in Bogota, said de la Espriella had managed to channel conservative voters, attract some voters disappointed with the government, and present himself as an alternative to established political figures. That mix helps explain how a newcomer with no political experience moved from outsider status into the lead before Sunday’s vote against Ivan Cepeda.
De la Espriella’s profile before the campaign came from courtrooms, not elected office. He was known for representing controversial clients, including Alvaro Uribe and Alex Saab, and that legal background fed the contrast at the center of the race: a first-time candidate with a security-first pitch, now facing a left-wing senator in the final round.
Ivan Cepeda run-off
Sunday’s run-off election settled the immediate question of whether de la Espriella’s May surge could hold when the race narrowed to one opponent. For voters drawn to his promise of tougher policing and order, the contest became a test of whether that appeal could carry from the first round into the decisive ballot against Ivan Cepeda.
