Colombias Presidential Election Sees Cepeda and De La Espriella Advance

Colombia’s Presidential Election Set for June 21 Runoff

Two candidates will face off in a runoff election on June 21, following Sunday’s vote. Senator Ivan Cepeda and far-right newcomer Abelardo de la Espriella led the pack, with Cepeda trailing behind by over 600,000 votes. As of Sunday afternoon, de la Espriella held 43 percent of the ballots cast in his favor, while Cepeda earned 40 percent.

Neither candidate reached the 50-percent threshold needed to avoid a head-to-head match-up on June 21. The runoff is likely to impact de la Espriella’s campaign going into the final round. Prior to the election, public opinion polls showed Cepeda consistently topping the polls, with over 33 percent support in a May 24 poll.

Security concerns were a major issue for voters heading into Sunday’s election. De la Espriella focused on crime fears during his campaign, while Cepeda has taken a different approach, emphasizing a platform that includes negotiated solutions to the country’s six-decade-long internal conflict.

Cepeda has been critical of right-wing efforts to solve the conflict through military might alone and has allied himself with outgoing President Gustavo Petro. Petro championed a “Total Peace” platform, which seeks negotiated solutions to the fighting, in addition to military tactics. Cepeda represents Petro’s left-wing Historic Pact party in this year’s election.

De la Espriella, on the other hand, has adopted a hardline security platform commonly associated with El Salvador’s leader Nayib Bukele. His platform includes a pledge to undertake a crackdown on crime and build 10 mega-prisons. The Defenders of the Homeland political party, founded by de la Espriella, is known for its slogan “Stand firm for the nation”.

Source: Al Jazeera