Far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella wins Colombia presidency, alarming analysts for democracy

On June 21, millionaire lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, who calls himself 'El Tigre' (The Tiger), defeated leftist Senator Iván Cepeda in Colombia's second-round presidential runoff by a margin of just 250,000 votes out of 41 million registered voters. He will take office on August 7, replacing Gustavo Petro, the country's first leftist president, marking a strong return of the right wing.

Although in his victory speech de la Espriella affirmed he would respect the constitution and the rights of 'all Colombians,' his past remarks have alarmed many. He has promised to 'gut' the left, use deadly force against protesters, and eliminate criminals like 'rats and cockroaches.'

'That terrifies me,' said Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, co-founder of the feminist magazine Volcánicas. 'Although Colombia has strong institutions, we are facing an unprecedented institutional threat.'

De la Espriella, 47, is an open admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump, who supported his campaign. He draws inspiration from other conservative leaders in the region, especially Nayib Bukele, the authoritarian leader of El Salvador, and promises to adopt Bukele's controversial anti-gang crackdown. He has also turned Colombia's national soccer jersey into a far-right symbol, inspired by the Bolsonaro family in Brazil, and promises to 'chainsaw' the state apparatus like Javier Milei in Argentina, shrinking it by 40%.

Some analysts worry that such downsizing could trigger an economic crisis and inadvertently strengthen criminal groups because the state already struggles to maintain a presence in many areas.

'We have never faced such a great threat,' said Ana Bejarano Ricaurte, a lawyer and co-director of the free-speech organization El Veinte. 'He has promised a regressive agenda on civil rights: anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ+... He has declared he will withdraw Colombia from the inter-American human rights system.'

De la Espriella was born in Bogotá but grew up in Córdoba province. He is the son of a former state senator and lawyer. His legal career began with small civil and labor cases, but a turning point came in the early 2000s when he participated in negotiations to disarm paramilitary groups and became a lawyer for many of their leaders.

His fame grew as he took on other high-profile clients, including a pastor accused of sexually abusing female congregants, the head of a pyramid scheme suspected of laundering drug money, and Alex Saab — whom the U.S. accuses of being the chief financier for Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela. De la Espriella has filed more than 100 lawsuits against journalists.

His campaign invested heavily in social media, winning support from influencers and soccer players. His rallies resembled pop concerts, with drone shows, large screens showing AI-generated videos, and songs. He sold merchandise ranging from $6 stickers and $17 keychains to $640 roaring tiger head statues and $5,800 watches.

De la Espriella promises to withdraw Colombia from the United Nations, extradite former President Petro to the U.S., build 10 'super-max' prisons, legalize civilian gun ownership, and 'capture or kill' 10 major crime leaders in his first three months. He also supports fossil fuel extraction, fracking, and loosening environmental permit requirements.

With minimal legislative support, the president-elect has said he will issue 90 executive decrees on his first day in office, a governing style reminiscent of Ecuador's far-right President Daniel Noboa. 'Those 90 decrees could be illegal and will eventually be challenged in court, but before the court resolves the issue, those rights may already be lost. We've seen that happen in the U.S.,' Ruiz-Navarro noted.

De la Espriella has faced criticism for mockingly imitating a gay candidate, accusations of homophobia, and sexism. However, in a statement, he said that under his government, 'no person will be persecuted, discriminated against, or excluded because of their sexual orientation, personal beliefs, or lifestyle.'

Ricaurte said: 'His rhetoric is full of misogyny, hatred, and exclusion, and not everyone voted for him despite that rhetoric. People voted for him because of it. And that is a deeply alarming sign for the health of our country.'