Colombian protests vow 'resistance' to right-wing rule

Protests in Colombia escalated after preliminary election figures gave president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella a narrow lead over leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda. On Sunday, demonstrators marched in Cali and Bogotá, with indigenous music accompanying the route in Cali’s Puerto Resistencia neighborhood, while clashes later broke out and riot police used tear gas. In Bogotá, hundreds of mostly young protesters gathered outside the national university against preliminary results showing De la Espriella at 49.66% versus Cepeda’s 48.70%. Some protesters burned U.S. flags and set fires to barricades, throwing objects at police. Supporters of Cepeda cited alleged fraud and promised “resistance,” while Cepeda said he would wait for votes to be validated. The vote has deepened divisions following Gustavo Petro’s prior leftist term, with De la Espriella campaigning on tougher crime measures, armed-group crackdowns, mega-prisons, and fracking.