Colombian Right-Wing Presidential Candidate Wins; Protesters Burn American Flag
Published atJun 22, 2026 03:57 pm
The Colombian presidential election has concluded, and after the far-right candidate Esprelia—strongly backed by U.S. President Trump—won by a narrow margin, protesters in Cali, the country’s third largest city, burned an American flag and clashed with riot police.
According to AFP, police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse thousands of people, some of whom, dissatisfied with Esprelia's victory, expressed their anger with bricks and sticks.
With ballots counted at nearly all polling stations, Esprelia won 49.66% of the vote, while leftist candidate Cepeda secured 48.70%.
The 47-year-old Esprelia’s victory may help to improve tense relations with Washington and continues the wave of right-wing candidates taking office across Latin America. Esprelia.Positions Himself as a Breaker of Political Norms
Esprelia, who has served as a lawyer, singer, and clothing merchant, openly expressed support and affection for Trump during the campaign. He calls himself “The Tiger” and promotes himself as an outsider who breaks political norms.
He advocates for tough military and government measures to combat drug trafficking and armed groups to restore national order—a stance that aligns closely with the American right both politically and ideologically.
The 63-year-old Cepeda is a close ally of Petro. During the campaign, he pledged to continue Petro’s 'total peace' strategy and keep working toward peaceful negotiations with armed groups.
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