Sen. Ivan Cepeda, presidential candidate with the ruling Historic Pact Coalition, gives a press conference the day after the presidential election runoff in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo\/Fernando Vergara)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-06-24T14:30:57Z<\/p>\n
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) \u2014 Progressive candidate Iv\u00e1n Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia\u2019s presidential election to Abelardo de la Espriella<\/a><\/span>, a conservative outsider who was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n Election results showed de la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never run for office, defeated Cepeda, a lawmaker, by 1 percentage point, or nearly 251,000 votes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe assume with serenity, responsibility, and absolute resolve \u2014 and let there be no doubt about it \u2014 the role that circumstances demand of us,\u201d Cepeda said in an address to the nation. \u201cWe will exercise a democratic, vigilant and constructive opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n The result effectively was an indictment of outgoing President Gustavo Petro\u2019s government, whose policies Cepeda had promised to continue, including a largely failed effort to establish dialogue with multiple armed groups<\/a><\/span> under a plan known as \u201ctotal peace.\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Electoral authorities published all but a fraction of the vote count hours after polls closed Sunday. Petro and Cepeda did not accept those results, with the latter saying he would wait for a recount to do so.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n