Nationalist Lawyer Wins Colombia Presidency

Colombia elected nationalist lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella as its new president on Sunday, according to an initial vote count, marking a sharp political turn and bringing a hardline security agenda and market-friendly policies to the fore.

De La Espriella, nicknamed “The Tiger” by his followers, defeated leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda in a close runoff, winning 49.66% of the vote to Cepeda’s 48.7%, according to the national registrar’s tally. He is set to take office on 7 August.

The 47-year-old lawyer blamed outgoing President Gustavo Petro for Colombia’s economic and security woes and campaigned on promises to reduce the size of the state by 40%, broaden the tax base and end peace efforts with armed groups in favor of a tougher military response.

He also plans to restart oil exploration and allow fracking to nearly double production to 1.3 million barrels per day. On security, he has proposed building 10 mega-prisons, drawing comparisons with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, though De La Espriella denies imitating him.

Aside from his legal career, De La Espriella has a sprawling business empire that includes wine, rum, clothing and real estate. The investigative journalism outlet La Silla Vacia has reported that many of his businesses have been dissolved, are in debt and lost money overall in 2024, with his law firm being his most profitable venture.

The new president has also faced criticism for legally representing Alex Saab, who faces charges in the US of laundering money for ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He has also represented people linked to corruption scandals, financial embezzlement and right-wing paramilitaries, but says his professional work as an attorney does not involve any complicity or crime.

(Reuters, Max)