De la Espriella’s margin of victory was around 250,000, much smaller than the about 670,000 gap between the two in the first round of elections on May 31, where both led but neither secured an outright majority.
In his victory speech in the coastal northern city of Barranquilla on Sunday night, de la Espriella said, “I will govern for all Colombians, for those who voted for me and for those who chose another candidate.”
De la Espriella’s victory swings Colombia back to the right, as Petro, the country’s first leftist President, is set to end his term in August.
It comes as Latin American nations have been facing increasing pressure from their citizens and the Trump Administration to move away from progressive governments. Others in the region like Chile and Honduras have also elected conservatives to power in the past year, and in Peru, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori edged closer toward the presidency following elections in April and a runoff in June.
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