{"id":2057,"date":"2026-06-21T16:07:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T16:07:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=2057"},"modified":"2026-06-21T16:07:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T16:07:03","slug":"colombians-vote-in-a-presidential-runoff-that-pits-an-outsider-against-a-progressive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=2057","title":{"rendered":"Colombians vote in a presidential runoff that pits an outsider against a progressive"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\u00a0Deeply divided voters in\u00a0Colombia are choosing the country’s next president in a runoff\u00a0Sunday that pits a progressive against a conservative outsider, with both candidates tapping into\u00a0fears of a renewed internal conflict\u00a0in the country.<\/p>\n

Read more Possible hit-and-run investigation underway in Miami Gardens after man found on roadway<\/a><\/p>\n

Their choice is between businessman and lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella and Iv\u00e1n Cepeda, a lawmaker and heir to the political movement of outgoing President\u00a0Gustavo Petro, the nation\u2019s first leftist leader. The two defeated nine other contenders in a May 31 vote.<\/p>\n

Both are pitching strategies that they say will prevent the South American country from experiencing the\u00a0nonstop merciless violence, such as car bombs, kidnappings, disappearances and forced displacements that Colombians lived with in previous decades.<\/p>\n

De la Espriella is proposing\u00a0a heavy-handed approach\u00a0that has earned him the endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

Cepeda is promising to continue Petro\u2019s efforts, including attempts at establishing\u00a0dialogue with multiple illegal armed groups\u00a0even though those efforts have largely failed.<\/p>\n

The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country\u2019s struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, what worries me is the polarization that exists between us: there are two very extreme sides, and the violence is concerning,\u201d John Manrique, a lawyer in the capital, Bogota, said as he walked his dog.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I hope is that people accept who won,\u201d he added. \u201cLet\u2019s accept it, regardless of the side, and try to reach a social consensus. \u2026 Let\u2019s not go out and fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the first round, Cepeda earned 41% of the vote, while de la Espriella garnered 44%, according to official results. Petro, without evidence, sowed doubts in the results after Cepeda, who had consistently lead polls ahead of the May vote, did not win outright and even finished behind de la Espriella.<\/p>\n

Petro reiterated his allegations on Sunday. \u201cWe must protect the vote, undoubtedly,\u201d he said shortly before polls opened.<\/p>\n

His movement will provide details about \u201call the accounts and funds that were transacted from abroad,\u201d Petro added. Actors, whom he did not identify, \u201ctried to enslave the people of Colombia by taking away their freedom to decide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Krome Avenue and Florida\u2019s Turnpike reopen as brush fires continue to burn<\/a><\/p>\n

More than 41 million people are eligible to vote. Polls will remain open until 4 p.m. local time.<\/p>\n

Fighting between rebel groups plagues the nation<\/h4>\n

The election comes 10 years after\u00a0Colombia\u00a0signed a historic peace pact with guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, that had offered hope to break the nation\u2019s vicious cycle of\u00a0fighting between rebel groups\u00a0and the government.<\/p>\n

But violence has since roared back, particularly as most rebel groups abandoned their ideologically driven fight for the financial benefits of drug trafficking.<\/p>\n

Last year, authorities recorded 14,780 homicides, the most since at least 2015 and driven by clashes among illegal armed groups. Among those killed was\u00a0conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe. Extortions have also soared, reaching 13,417 cases in 2025, more than double the number tallied in 2015.<\/p>\n

De la Espriella, a political newcomer nicknamed \u201cThe Tiger,\u201d has promised to fiercely go after criminals and build 10 mega-prisons, emulating the policies of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele that have lowered homicide rates but have fueled accusations of human rights abuses.<\/p>\n

Cepeda wants to carry on Petro’s\u00a0fraught signature plan to achieve \u201ctotal peace\u201d\u00a0by negotiating pacts with guerrillas and criminal gangs. The heavily criticized strategy that Petro kicked off in 2022 took until Thursday to see the first armed group \u2014 one with about 100 members \u2014 give up its weapons and begin a resettlement process that will lead to their reintegration into civilian life. Colombia’s illegal groups have more than 27,000 members.<\/p>\n

Yamile Guevara, a retired teacher in Bogota, said Petro’s plans need more time to bear results as he could not reasonably be expected to make lasting changes in a conflict that has gone on for six decades. She also criticized what she described as voters’ perennial distrust of Colombia’s left over its long-held association with rebel groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe left has always been viewed negatively; it has been harsh, and many people have died,\u201d Guevara, a Cepeda supporter, said. \u201cSo, one wonders what\u2019s wrong with people who have forgotten history \u2026 how can they not think carefully about which candidate they are going to elect?\u201d<\/p>\n

The lead-up to the runoff has seen an\u00a0increase in verbal attacks between the candidates\u00a0as well as accusations of fraud, vote-buying and intimidation.<\/p>\n

Cepeda filed a complaint with the Colombian Attorney General\u2019s Office and the International Criminal Court against de la Espriella, accusing him of having ties to paramilitary groups. De la Espriella has denied the accusation.<\/p>\n

Read more Crews continue to battle brush fires throughout Miami-Dade<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Their choice is between businessman and lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella and Iv\u00e1n Cepeda, a lawmaker and heir to the political movement of outgoing President\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[211],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombia"],"yoast_head":"\nColombians vote in a presidential runoff that pits an outsider against a progressive - Jacksonville Moving News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=2057\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Colombians vote in a presidential runoff that pits an outsider against a progressive - 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