Pro-Trump Lawyer Wins Colombia Election First Round
A pro-Trump lawyer named Abelardo de la Espriella won the first round of Colombia's presidential election. He got 43.7% of the vote.
This surprised many people as polls had placed his rival in the lead. He will now face senator Iván Cepeda in a runoff in June.
Cepeda is backed by Colombia's outgoing left-wing president Gustavo Petro. Cepeda got 40.9% of the vote in the first round.
Cepeda and Petro disputed the results claiming votes were manipulated. They gave no evidence for this claim.
A third-place candidate quickly backed Espriella after the results. Her support could be important in the runoff. Colombia's dollar bonds rose after Espriella's first-round win.
Klear Note — Colombia holds presidential runoffs when no candidate wins over 50% in the first round. The runoff determines the next president.
Key Terms 3
- first round First vote to narrow candidates before a final runoff vote
- runoff A second vote between the top two candidates to decide the winner
- dollar bonds Loans Colombia owes in US dollars; their value rose after the result