Continuation or change? What you need to know about the Colombian election | Election News

Voters in Colombia are preparing to go to the polls for the second time in less than a month to decide who will be the leader of the South American country.

But the two candidates who are competing in the second Sunday are giving strong different visions about the future of the world.

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One, leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, has pledged to continue with the outgoing President’s government. Gustavo Petrowho advocated measures to combat poverty and dialogue with the country’s armed forces.

Another, far-right Abelardo de la Espriella, has pledged to withdraw from politics, including withdrawing from negotiations and a military-led response to crime and violence.

De la Espriella emerged with a smaller advantage than Cepeda in the first round in voting on May 31, I got 43 percent of the votes compared to 40 percent of the senator.

The margin is tight going into the second round, but pre-polls show de la Espriella ahead of Cepeda.

Who are these two, what are the issues driving the election, and what can we expect in the second round of voting? We answer those questions and more in a brief explanation.

When is the election?

The final vote will be held on 21 June.

What happened during the first round of voting?

Cepeda led the polls ahead of the May 31 election.

But in an upset, de la Espriella came first with 43.7 percent of the vote. Cepeda fell by 40.9 percent. However, no one scored 50 percent or more to avoid a runoff.

The surprise result led President Petro to accuse private companies of manipulating the results of the election in favor of the right-wing candidate.

“As president, I do not accept the results of the first count,” Petro wrote on social media shortly after the results were counted.

At first, Cepeda seemed to agree with Petro’s doubts, but later admitted that there were no errors in the first round of voting.

The European Union’s Election Observation Mission also said there was no evidence that the election was rigged.

What can round one tell us about round two?

De la Espriella believes he has a chance to get out of the first round of voting.

In the general election, the right-wing voters were divided between different people, including de la Espriella, Senator Paloma Valencia and centrist leader Sergio Fajardo.

Now, in the second round of voting, de la Espriella is expected to include some of the voters who voted for Valencia and Fajardo.

The first row also revealed a split between the regions that supported Cepeda and the regions that de la Espriella won.

Many in the coastal and border areas, as well as the capital Bogota, voted for Cepeda. But the central departments, which have been deeply affected by the internal war in Colombia, turned their attention to de la Espriella.

Who is Ivan Cepeda?

Senator Ivan Cepeda is running as a candidate for the country’s left-wing ruling coalition, known as the Historic Pact.

Cepeda has promised to continue Petro’s efforts to reduce social and economic inequality.

But one of the biggest challenges in this year’s election is security, as Colombia continues to struggle for sixteen years. to argue.

Petro has tried to resolve the conflict negotiations with the armed forcesas part of a program called “Total Peace”.

Although Cepeda has promised to reform “Total Peace”, he has supported the plan as a necessary step away from decades of armed conflict and rights abuses.

Petro’s approach, however, has been criticized for failing to resolve the conflict, with violent incidents on the rise in recent years. For example, the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the number of people who were displaced from their homes due to violence doubled in the last year.

But Cepeda has brought his experience with Colombia’s conflicts to bear on the election.

His father, also a senator, was killed in 1994 in a shootout widely believed to be by government-backed militias. After that, Cepeda volunteered to advocate on behalf of the victims of “state crimes”.

As a Senator, Cepeda also criticized the powerful former President, Alvaro Uribe, for collaborating with right-wing militias. His allegations sparked a years-long court case in which Uribe was briefly convicted of bribery and witness tampering, before the verdict was over.

Who is Abelardo de la Espriella?

Looking away against Cepeda is a right-winger who is, in almost every way, his opposite.

The criminal lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella was not involved in politics, although he used this fact to his advantage, presenting himself as a successful businessman.

De la Espriella founded a self-titled clothing line and restaurant in South Florida, and has also developed a career as a tenor, releasing a number of high-profile albums.

Running with the Defenders of the Homeland Party, de la Espriella has promised a strong defense strategy. His platform involves ending all negotiations with the armed forces and blowing up their camps.

He said they will build 10 large prisons and they will start again trying to kill the plants used to make cocaine.

His supporters say a tougher approach like this is needed to end violence in Colombia.

“Of course, when you fall with a heavy hand, there is a conflict,” voter Maria Eugenia told the Associated Press (AP) news agency. “But some people have to fall to clean what needs to be cleaned.”

Colombia has long been a close friend United States– led the “war on drugs”, and de la Espriella promised to work with US President Donald Trump to ensure regional security.

In terms of economic policy, de la Espriella has been compared to Argentina’s liberal president Javier Mileywho has advanced a program of energy reduction and regulatory reduction.

What is at stake?

While Cepeda has campaigned beyond the current government, experts warn that de la Espriella’s victory could send Colombia into the unknown.

Dela Espriella has noted that Colombia is withdrawing from other international organizations, including the Inter-American Court for Human Rights, and wants to restore the right to abortion, as part of its humanitarian platform.

But some of the most intense scrutiny has fallen on its security policies. Critics question whether his iron-fisted, military-led approach will exacerbate the violence Colombia already faces.

“We are a country that has lived 60 years of war,” sociologist Juan Acevedo told the AP during the first round of voting. “The danger here is that we are returning to the time when everyone says that the only way to solve our problems is more bullets and more wars.”

What do the polls say?

De la Espriella is expected to have an advantage in the finals, a decision that puts him in the lead.

Research firm AtlasIntel, for example, he cast a vote on June 13 showing de la Espriella with 50.9 percent of the vote, and 43.1 percent to Cepeda.

About 5.9 percent of voters, however, said they either don’t know who to vote for or plan to cancel their vote. Undecided voters and dissenters may have a hard time determining the outcome.

Critics also emphasize that polls do not predict the outcome of any race. After all, in one presidential election in Colombia, it was de la Espriella who trailed in the polls – but came first.

What did Donald Trump say about the election?

Trump has repeatedly endorsed far-right candidates in Latin American elections, and he will continue this trend with Colombia.

Following de la Espriella’s victory in the first round of voting, Trump praised the right-winger and compared himself to the 47-year-old.

“Abelardo fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America,” Trump said. has been sent on Truth Social on June 10.

“Because of what he has accomplished in life, and his political support to me, It is my Honor to give Abelardo my Full and Whole Approbation.”

In his speech, Trump expressed an affinity with de la Espriella’s platform on crime, drug trafficking and immigration, which he shares.

He also criticized Cepeda as a “Radical Left Marxist” and suggested that Colombia’s relations with the US could go backwards if the leftist candidate wins.

“The results of this Election are very important for the future of Colombia and its relationship with the United States which, if Abelardo wins, and because of his talent and love for his Country, he will have all the support and power of the United States behind him,” Trump wrote.

De la Espriella responded with social media post his, thanks to Trump.

“With my head held high and with deep gratitude for your patriotism, I welcome your words and your continued support,” de la Espriella said.

But Trump’s endorsement has raised concerns that he may seek to change Colombia’s elections.

On Wednesday, US Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia printed termed Trump’s actions “shamelessly disturbing”.

“Our government must respect, not insult, the democracy and sovereignty of our neighbors in the region,” Garcia said.