Overview
- Voters will choose between Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda in a June 21 runoff after no candidate won a majority in the May first round.
- De la Espriella campaigns on a pro‑business, security‑first platform that includes seeking U.S. support for airstrikes, crop fumigation and building mega‑prisons while Cepeda promises to deepen Gustavo Petro’s social programs and pursue negotiated 'total peace'.
- Both candidates face binding fiscal constraints with public debt around 60% of GDP and a near‑7% fiscal deficit that analysts say will require large spending cuts or revenue increases to avoid worsening credit ratings.
- Campaigning has been marred by escalating political violence — bombings, assassinations and death threats — prompting repeated appeals from the Catholic Church for calmer rhetoric and voter protections.
- U.S. President Trump’s public endorsement of De la Espriella has sharpened geopolitical attention and helped lift market sentiment for a right‑leaning outcome even as investors and analysts warn that Congress and debt levels will limit rapid policy shifts.