The Daily Journal — Following one of the most polarized election days in Colombia’s recent history, businessman and attorney Abelardo de la Espriella celebrated his preliminary victory in the presidential runoff from the city of Barranquilla. According to preliminary vote-count data released by the National Civil Registry, the candidate of the Defenders of the Homeland coalition leads his rival from the Historic Pact, Senator Iván Cepeda, by nearly 250,000 votes.
Standing behind a bulletproof glass booth, De la Espriella combined a call for national unity with his trademark tough-on-crime rhetoric in a speech that signals the beginning of a new political era for the country.
Call for national reconciliation accompanied by a warning to the opposition
At the start of his remarks, the president-elect, according to the preliminary results, sought to ease tensions after months of a campaign marked by ideological confrontation.
“From this moment forward, the electoral campaign ends. The slogans, the divisions, and the political clashes come to an end, and the supreme hour of service to the nation begins,” declared the leader of Defenders of the Homeland, promising that his administration will “rebuild the nation from its foundations so that Colombia may roar again.”
Despite his initially conciliatory tone, and although he assured Colombians that he would uphold a “sacred mandate: I will be a president for all Colombians,” De la Espriella delivered a pointed message to his main opponent, Iván Cepeda, clearly defining the limits his administration will accept in the streets.
“To Senator-elect Iván Cepeda, I say that he will have every guarantee necessary to exercise opposition, provided that he remains within the bounds of the law,” he stated before issuing a stern warning: “Do not even think about encouraging violence. Refrain from sowing terror. Do not make that mistake, Mr. Cepeda. You already know how hard the tiger bites.”
In response to the left’s announcement of mass legal challenges, the right-wing leader urged his supporters to safeguard the preliminary results at polling stations.
“To everyone who voted for us, protect the votes. Let the lawyers stand ready to defend what Colombians have decided.”
Security and order: A message to organized crime
Highlighting the central pillars of his government platform, the attorney described himself as “a man of law” and reaffirmed his commitment to Colombia’s 1991 Constitution.
“I swear to defend the Constitution with utmost consistency and prevent those who seek to destroy it from succeeding. I swear to defend it against those who want to replace it with tyranny.”
On public security, he addressed insurgent groups, drug cartels, and transnational criminal organizations operating throughout Colombian territory directly.
“To those who have spread terror for all these years, your time is over. The State will reach every corner of the country. No criminal organization will stand above the law, and no one will remain untouchable. To drug traffickers, terrorists, kidnappers, extortionists, and corrupt officials who steal the people’s resources, I announce tonight that Colombia once again has a government. Authorities will pursue every one of those criminals relentlessly under the laws of the Republic,” he emphasized.
De la Espriella also questioned the peace approach adopted by previous administrations, criticizing what he described as impunity-based agreements while reaffirming the role of the security forces in preserving institutional stability.
“True peace does not emerge from impunity. True peace comes from justice,” he declared.
He concluded by stressing that “there is no freedom without security, there is no democracy without authority, and there is no nation without heroes such as our police officers and soldiers who stand ready to defend the Republic.”
