Colombian right-wing candidate De La Espriella wins tight presidential race

Colombian right-wing candidate De La Espriella won a tight presidential race, with the contest decided by less than one percentage point between the two top candidates. The close result is expected to push De La Espriella to soften some proposals to gain support from a divided Congress. His party, Cepeda’s Historic Pact, holds more seats than any other party in both Colombia’s Senate and lower house, though it does not control a majority. De La Espriella, a lawyer without prior political experience, also faces a high public debt burden and scrutiny over his businesses, including reports that many were dissolved and financially unprofitable in 2024. More than 26.3 million Colombians voted in the election, and a final verified count overseen by notaries and judges was still pending late Sunday as security concerns lingered.