Overview
- Voters will choose between ultraright outsider Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Iván Cepeda in a presidential runoff scheduled for Sunday, June 21.
- De la Espriella led the May 31 first round with roughly 43.7% to Cepeda's 40.9%, and most final polls give De la Espriella a narrow advantage heading into the runoff.
- Argentina's President Javier Milei publicly endorsed De la Espriella and spoke by phone with him, prompting Colombia's Foreign Ministry to issue a formal note of protest over foreign interference.
- Gustavo Petro has mounted mass rallies to mobilize the left while Cepeda shifts toward the center to court undecided and moderate voters, and centrist figures such as Claudia López have publicly backed Cepeda.
- The result will shape a stark policy choice: De la Espriella promises a mano dura security strategy and economic liberalization, while Cepeda pledges continuity of Petro-era social programs, and turnout among young, rural, and centrist voters will decide the outcome.