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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Colombia's right-wing presidential candidate, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, snatched victory from his left-wing opponent in a run-off vote on Sunday, further cementing Latin America's shuffle toward the political right under the U.S.' watchful eye.
Abelardo de la Espriella, a millionaire lawyer and previous political outsider who pledged to crack down on organized crime and bring Bogotá closer to Washington, won just over 49.6 percent of the vote in the preliminary count to narrowly beat left-leaning senator Iván Cepeda's 48.7 percent share, according to national media.
De la Espriella—who calls himself "El Tigre," or "The Tiger"—painted himself an ally of other regional right-wing leaders like Argentina's Javier Milei and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, as well as an admirer of Trump.
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The Trump administration, meanwhile, has looked to roll out stronger U.S. influence over Latin America and other parts of the Western Hemisphere through what it has termed the "Donroe Doctrine"—a reference to the 19th century Monroe Doctrine which carved out the U.S. as the dominant power in the Americas.
The U.S. government also formed what it dubbed its "Shield of the Americas" initiative, a coalition of more than a dozen leaders on the center-right or hard-right subscribing to Trump-esque politics.
Trump had branded Cepeda, the candidate backed by current president Gustavo Petro, a "Radical Left Marxist." Petro and Trump repeatedly sparred in social media posts, including over the U.S.' controversial strike campaign on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
Florida Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna said the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which oversaw aid flows to foreign countries, has been accompanied by a swing toward right-wing governments in Latin America. The agency officially shut down in July 2025. Luna said four right-wing governments had surged to power in South America between June 2023 and June 2026.
Petro said the initial count would need to verified because the results were so close, while Cepeda said he would wait on an official judgment before recognizing the outcome. Petro claimed some polling stations had been "compromised" but did not provide evidence.
Colombian authorities have not yet formally announced a winner.
But de La Espriella declared victory and said his Defenders of the Homeland party had gained "historic support." Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said de la Espriella "Won, BIG!"
Demonstrators supporting Cepeda were seen burning the U.S. flag in Cali, the country's third-largest city, as reports emerged of clashes between protesters opposing de la Espriella and police.
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