Colombia holds presidential run-off election on June 21st with left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda facing conservative opponent

Jun 17, 2026

Colombia holds a polarized presidential runoff on June 21st between left-wing Iván Cepeda and right-wing Abelardo de la Espriella. Cepeda supports continuing peace negotiations, while de la Espriella, who won the first round and is endorsed by Donald Trump, proposes a hardline military approach. Against a backdrop of a six-decade conflict that has victimized 10 million people, voters face a stark choice on the country's future security and peace strategy.

Colombia presidential runoff election

▪In the first round of voting, Iván Cepeda won majorities in coastal regions and Bogota, while Abelardo de la Espriella won in central departments.
▪A June 13 AtlasIntel poll indicated Abelardo de la Espriella led Iván Cepeda with 50.9% to 43.1% of voter support.
▪Colombia's presidential run-off election is scheduled for June 21st between left-wing Senator Iván Cepeda and right-wing challenger Abelardo de la Espriella.
▪Outgoing President Gustavo Petro is constitutionally barred from running for re-election.
▪In the first round of voting on May 31, Abelardo de la Espriella won 43.7% of the vote, ahead of Iván Cepeda's 40.9%, forcing a runoff.

Armed conflict victim experiences

▪More than 10 million people, or one in five Colombians, are registered as victims of the country's six-decade armed conflict.
▪The International Red Cross stated in May that the impact of armed conflict on civilians in Colombia reached its worst point in a decade over the past year.
▪Sigifredo López, a former hostage of FARC guerrillas for seven years, was the sole survivor of a 2007 massacre of 11 fellow captive lawmakers.
▪Blanca Nubia Monroy's 19-year-old son was among the victims of the "false positives" scandal, killed by soldiers in 2008.

Candidate security policy contrasts

▪The National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group announced a temporary ceasefire so as not to interfere in the presidential election.
▪Right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella proposes a hardline security approach, including ending negotiations, bombing armed group camps, and building 10 mega-prisons.
▪De la Espriella's platform includes restarting aerial fumigation to destroy coca crops and has been compared to the policies of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele.
▪Left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda supports continuing President Gustavo Petro's "Total Peace" policy of negotiating with armed groups.

Political polarization over violence

▪U.S. Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia described Trump's endorsement as "shameless interference" in Colombia's election.
▪Former U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed Abelardo de la Espriella, calling Iván Cepeda a "Radical Left Marxist."
▪The election is framed as a choice between dialogue and reform versus a hardline militarized strategy.
▪Farmers in peasant reserve zones (ZRCs) fear a de la Espriella government would prioritize large landowners and agribusiness over environmental protection.

False positives extrajudicial killings

▪As a senator, Iván Cepeda accused former president Alvaro Uribe of collaborating with right-wing paramilitary groups.
▪The "false positives" scandal involved the extrajudicial execution of 6,402 civilians by the Colombian military, largely between 2002-2008 under ex-President Álvaro Uribe.
▪Abelardo de la Espriella has promised to dismantle the peace tribunal established after the 2016 peace pact to investigate war crimes.