Colombia heads to runoff after anti-establishment outsider tops first round

Colombia’s first-round results surprised polls: anti-establishment outsider Abelardo de la Espriella led with 43.74% to leftist Ivan Cepeda’s 40.90%, triggering a June 21 runoff. De la Espriella’s hard-right, security-focused message resonated in interior regions, while Cepeda kept support tied to Petro’s Historic Pact, signaling a tightly fought race and a shift away from poll expectations. Analysts caution against focusing on fraud allegations and emphasize wooing moderates in the runoff.