Newsdata · Miami-Dade

Did South Florida help decide Colombia’s election? See what voters are saying

A supporter of Colombia's presidential candidate for the Defensores de la Patria movement Abelardo de la Espriella gives a thumbs up as he celebrates the results of the presidential runoff election at the Ventana al Mundo monument in Barranquilla, Colombia, on June 21, 2026. A flamboyant US-backed lawyer who has never held public office narrowly won Colombia's presidential runoff on June 21, swinging the country hard to the right on a promise to wage war against drug-running guerrilla groups. With more than 99 percent of polling centers reporting, Abelardo de la Espriella had 49.67 percent of the vote, an unassailable lead over his rival, left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda who trailed at 48.69 percent, according to official results. (Photo by Jaime SALDARRIAGA / AFP via Getty Images)