Colombian conservative candidate Abelardo de La Espriella has clinched a narrow victory in Sunday’s presidential election, according to official results, in another gain for the right-wing wave sweeping across Latin America.
De La Espriella won 49.7% of the vote, and his left-wing rival, Sen. Ivan Cepeda from outgoing President Gustavo Petro‘s party, received 48.7%, with nearly 100% of the ballots counted in the runoff election.
A 47-year-old lawyer and political outsider nicknamed “El Tigre,” or “The Tiger,” de la Espriella pledged during the election campaign to open an embassy in Jerusalem and renew a strategic alliance with Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar congratulated de la Espriella on his victory.
“The Tiger won, Colombia won!” he posted on X. “Congratulations to my friend Abelardo “The Tiger” de la Espriella on his impressive win in Colombia’s presidential election. We expect to work with President-elect de la Espriella to revive relations between Israel and Colombia and bring them to an all-time high.
De La Espriella will enter into office on Aug. 7.
Petro severed diplomatic ties with Israel in 2024 over the Gaza war triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack and expelled Israeli diplomats from the South American country.
The right-wing has made gains across Latin America, including in Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Bolivia and Ecuador, where voters concerned by high crime and a weak economy voted for conservative presidents in their most recent elections.
