Right-wing outsider wins Colombia presidency by less than a point
Al Jazeera reported that De La Espriella defeated left-wing veteran Ivan Cepeda in Colombia’s closest presidential vote.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Colombia has elected De La Espriella as president in what Al Jazeera described as the closest vote in the country’s history. The result matters because it returns the presidency to the right after years without a right-wing head of state, according to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera reported that De La Espriella, a right-wing political outsider endorsed by Donald Trump, defeated left-wing veteran Ivan Cepeda by less than one percentage point. The outlet also described De La Espriella as far right in its coverage of the result.
Cepeda conceded defeat after the tight count, Al Jazeera reported, sealing De La Espriella’s win. The concession followed preliminary results under which De La Espriella had claimed victory, according to Al Jazeera.
A narrow result with broader stakes
The election outcome leaves Colombia with a sharply divided electorate, based on Al Jazeera’s account of the margin. A win by less than a point gives the incoming president a mandate shaped by one of the thinnest possible national verdicts.
Al Jazeera framed the election as a test for Colombia and for the wider Latin American left. The defeat of Cepeda, identified by the outlet as a left-wing veteran, marks a reversal for that side of Colombian politics after a contest decided by a razor-thin margin.
Trump’s endorsement also gave the race an international dimension, according to Al Jazeera’s description of De La Espriella’s campaign. The outlet did not provide vote totals in the material published with its episode, but said the difference between the candidates was under one percentage point.
Questions after the vote
Al Jazeera’s coverage pointed to questions about what De La Espriella’s victory means for Colombia’s next government and for left-wing politics across Latin America. The outlet also promoted related reporting on accusations that Israel meddled in the election, though the episode listing did not detail those allegations.
The programme featured Teresa Bo, an Al Jazeera senior correspondent, and was published as part of The Take, the outlet’s news podcast. Al Jazeera said the episode examined how the election divided Colombia and what may follow after De La Espriella’s win.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.