Right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella is poised to win Colombia’s presidential election, securing 49.7% of the vote against his leftist opponent Iván Cepeda’s 48.7%. De la Espriella, a political newcomer with US citizenship, campaigned on a platform of aggressive crime reduction and restricted immigration, drawing comparisons to El Salvador’s President Bukele. He has pledged to build mega-prisons and take a hard line against drug cartels and guerilla groups, a departure from the peace negotiations pursued by outgoing President Petro. While not yet official, the results have prompted Cepeda to announce plans to challenge the vote counts from tens of thousands of polling stations. Congratulations have already been extended by US Secretary of State Rubio and Argentinian President Milei, signaling potential shifts in Colombia’s foreign policy. The official results are expected within the next few days.