Donald Trump has never been shy about endorsing candidates in foreign elections. In Latin America, which his administration has elevated as a top priority in its national security strategy, the President has backed the winning horse in countries as varied as Argentina, Honduras, and Chile. He can now add Colombia to the mix.
Last weekend, millions of Colombians went to the polls to choose between Trump-backed Right-wing populist Abelardo de la Espriella and the Left-wing Iván Cepeda. Yesterday, the latter conceded after a tight result, meaning that de la Espriella will be the country’s new leader.
For Trump, de la Espriella’s biggest appeal is how he plans to tackle Colombia’s criminal groups. On this specific issue, de la Espriella has presented a hard line: no negotiations and no concessions. The previous administration, led by Gustavo Petro, had a “total peace” strategy, which sought to negotiate de-escalation agreements with several criminal organisations. Colombia’s next president is primed to return to a war footing by launching an air campaign against the National Liberation Army (ELN)—a Marxist guerrilla group—and building mega-prisons in the Colombian countryside.
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