Trump declares Colombian candidate won big – | Political News

Donald Trump declared that his endorsed candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella, “won big” following Colombia’s presidential runoff election on June 21, 2026, despite official figures displaying a slim margin.

“He Won, BIG!” Trump posted on Truth Social late Sunday night time alongside stories of the preliminary depend. However, the election is way from over, with election officers still unable to make a definitive call.

Reports point out that the Trump administration has favored De la Espriella. Following the preliminary vote release, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also congratulated De la Espriella on X, discussing regional security cooperation and efforts to curb unlawful immigration. It was reported by Just the News, that De la Espriella had captured 49.7% of the vote with liberal Iván Cepeda taking 48.7%.

Cepeda has explicitly refused to concede, stating that the preliminary outcomes are non-binding. Citing potential irregularities, Cepeda’s marketing campaign announced plans to legally problem outcomes from more than 30,000 voting stations during the formal scrutiny course of

Espriella is a felony protection lawyer and twin U.S.-Colombian citizen who has not beforehand held public workplace. Running on a arduous-proper security platform, he has mentioned building mega-prisons impressed by El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, halting peace talks with insurgent teams, and launching U.S.-backed airstrikes against drug-working guerrillas.

According to Espriella, he had already spoken to Trump shortly after declaring his victory. “We must all respect these electoral results,” he said.

“And many countries are already weighing in,” Espriella added. “The Colombian people, the masses, spoke out and we defeated the regime.”

The U.S. State Department issued its own assertion in response to the win. “This result reflects the will of the Colombian people and their commitment to democracy,” the assertion read.

“The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with his incoming administration to advance our bilateral and regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen the economic ties between our two countries,” it added. The slim margin has sparked polarization, including avenue demonstrations in cities like Cali, while legal professionals for the progressive coalition put together for the official canvas.

Colombian electoral authorities have emphasised that a formal, legally binding winner can’t be declared until the ultimate, audited verification course of is accomplished over the next days. Outgoing progressive President Gustavo Petro has also backed these calls for scrutiny.