Latin America's Resurgent Right Notches Another Win in Colombia
De la Espriella’s victory reflects voter anger over crime and economic stagnation as right-wing outsiders gain ground across the region, analysts said.
- On Sunday, June 21, 2026, Abelardo de la Espriella of the Defensores de la Patria movement won Colombia's presidential runoff election, marking a significant rightward political shift for the nation.
- President Nayib Bukele provided the blueprint for outsider candidates by offering simple solutions to crime and economic stagnation, a model de la Espriella adopted wholesale, earning the nickname "Temu Bukele" from some commentators.
- Nearly 75 percent of Latin Americans report crime has risen in the last year, fueling voter frustration with political elites and driving enthusiasm for anti-establishment candidates promising decisive action.
- President Donald Trump threatened billions in military aid to influence the vote, labeling de la Espriella's rival a "radical left Marxist," while researcher Juan Alvarez at the Caro y Cuervo Institute notes de la Espriella campaigned in "black and white, sharpening differences."
- Ongoing protests in Bogotá, Colombia and instability in Bolivia and Ecuador suggest voters prioritize immediate relief over ideological consistency, with experts seeing little evidence for a permanent region-wide rightward shift.
26 Articles
26 Articles
De La Espriella’s win in Colombia cements Latin America’s rightward shift
BOGOTA — Colombia has swung to the right, electing nationalist lawyer and political newcomer Abelardo De La Espriella as president, accelerating a rightward shift rippling across Latin America. The post De La Espriella’s win in Colombia cements Latin America’s rightward shift appeared first on Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Radio France Internationale
Latin America's resurgent right notches another win in Colombia
In Colombia, a Right-Wing Wildcard Rises
A right-wing victory in Latin America’s third-largest country could ripple across the region. Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/opinion/colombia-election-espriella-petro.html Author : Michael Shifter Publish date : 2026-06-23 05:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
Eldiario.es
elDiarioARAfter the victory of the ultra-rightist Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia, virtually the whole continent is governed by right-wing and far-right forces who flatter Donald Trump and imitate Nayib Bukele’s security policiesEvery Tuesday we send to your mail the analysis of Javier Biosca’s international week The last ultra-right leader to arrive in Latin America has been the billionaire Abelardo de la Espriella. Colombia’s next president has won…
He calls himself El Tigre, entrusts himself only to “God” and the “People” and says he puts “the total truth on the table.” When he won the first round, to the surprise of many analyses and forecasts, he assured that his victory supposes “the total defeat of the politicians always, of the parties always.” Despite his rupturistic rhetoric, the ultra Abelardo de la Espriella has just brought Colombia, with his tight victory in the presidential ele…
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Bias Distribution
- 34% of the sources lean Left, 33% of the sources are Center, 33% of the sources lean Right
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