Colombians vote Sunday in a runoff election that will likely reshape the nation's brutal internal conflict, now at its bloodiest since the 2016 Farc peace accord. Frontrunner Abelardo de la Espriella, a Trump-endorsed far-right lawyer and millionaire known as 'the Tiger,' has vowed to scrap President Gustavo Petro's 'total peace' policy. His opponent is a left-wing senator who supports negotiations with armed gangs.
De la Espriella promises a return to full-scale military confrontation with all criminal groups, abandoning Petro's strategy of seeking disarmament through talks. The election comes amid an escalating conflict that has come to define the campaign. Both candidates represent starkly different visions for ending the violence that has plagued Colombia for decades.
Polls show de la Espriella leading as the frontrunner, drawing support from a rightward-shifting Colombian diaspora. The Guardian reports the conflict is at its most violent point since the 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, though specific casualty figures were not provided. The election follows a first-round vote that eliminated centrist alternatives.
A de la Espriella victory would mark an abrupt reversal from Petro's approach, potentially intensifying military operations against armed groups. Analysts warn that returning to full-scale confrontation could lead to higher civilian casualties and displace thousands. The outcome will also signal Colombia's geopolitical alignment, with de la Espriella backed by former President Trump.
Critics argue that military force alone has failed to end Colombia's conflict over decades and that negotiation remains the only viable path to lasting peace. They note that the 2016 peace deal reduced violence significantly, even as new armed groups filled the vacuum.