El Salvador devlet başkanı (2019–görevde)
Venezuela quakes kill almost 1,500, with millions more in need
The death toll in Venezuela’s twin earthquake disaster reached 1,430 on Saturday, with millions more feared to lack sanitation and other basic needs as the first US aid flights trickled into Caracas. Facing public outrage at the response by local officials, US-backed interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez said the country was “not alone”. The United States said one runway at Simon Bolivar International Airport was now functioning and that C-17 US military planes were landing there, while a naval ship had arrived off the coast. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said search-and-rescue teams from at least 17 countries were being mobilised to help find survivors. But the search for survivors saw desperate attempts by local residents to claw away rubble from apartment buildings that collapsed in Wednesday’s double-quakes. Experts say the first 72 hours after natural disasters are the key, narrow window for finding the living. There was joy in the hardest-hit coastal area of La Guaira, north of Caracas, when locals pulled an infant alive out of the wreckage on Friday, some 32 hours after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors. Earlier today, the Venezuelan government said that 1,600 members of foreign rescue teams had arrived to help search for survivors of the devastating twin earthquakes. Residents and volunteers in La Guaira, a popular destination for beachgoers where at least 100 buildings, many residential high-rises, were destroyed or damaged, have for days decried shortages of heavy equipment and a limited official presence. Rodriguez said in an overnight address on state television that 10 more countries were still to join rescue efforts and 14,000 military and police members were in La Guaira to patrol and take sanitary measures. “In recent hours, Venezuela has received 17 flights carrying more than 1,600 members of rescue teams, and over the next 24 hours, the arrival of 25 additional flights is expected,” said foreign ministry official Oliver Blanco. “We thank the international community for its support and solidarity during these moments of uncertainty for Venezuelans,” Blanco added on X in the early hours of Saturday. Rescuers have been making their way to sites around La Guaira state and Venezuela’s capital Caracas, although on Friday some areas were still largely without an official presence as families and neighbours struggled to find missing loved ones in the rubble, sometimes digging with their hands. Officials closed the road between La Guaira and nearby Caracas on Friday evening, saying heavy traffic was preventing quick passage of emergency vehicles and official rescuers. Civilians who are not part of official rescue teams will need a credential to pass the roadblock and Reuters witnesses were prevented from using the main road on Saturday morning by police, while an older secondary road was choked with traffic. The government had previously thanked civilians who brought aid, often by motorcycle, to desperate residents. Venezuelan state television showed images of thousands of pairs of shoes, clothing and other aid being collected by the government. While the power remained out near the quakes’ epicentre in Moron on Friday, as well as fully down in La Guaira, it was being restored in other places, with Rodriguez saying that 60 per cent of electricity had now been restored. Venezuela’s power grid, crippled by years of underinvestment and economic sanctions, regularly experiences problems, leading to daily, hours-long blackouts in some regions. 54,000 missing Although the government has said hundreds are missing or trapped, more than 54,000 people are listed as unaccounted for on a website promoted by the country’s opposition. The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimated more than 10,000 deaths were possible from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes, which would place them among Latin America’s deadliest of the last century. Nearly 7 million people could be affected, the UN said, estimating direct damage at about $6.7 billion. The disaster could have political consequences for Rodriguez, who has tried to portray herself as an agent of change even though she served as vice president to Nicolas Maduro, who was ousted and arrested by the US in January. Rodriguez spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday after meeting with the US military’s Northern Command and disaster experts. The US said it was mobilising $150m in aid and easing sanctions, while its military dispatched two ships and said helicopters and aircraft would support rescue efforts. Among the rescue teams working in La Guaira are a team from El Salvador, whose President Nayib Bukele has hailed multiple rescues on his X account, including that of a 15-year-old girl. Looting has taken place at several sites in La Guaira, Reuters witnesses said. Venezuela’s oil production was not affected by the quakes, Oil Minister Paula Henao said on Friday, adding that fuel distribution would be guaranteed. Oil executives and workers said the sector had avoided major infrastructure damage.
BM'den Venezuela Depremleri İçin 7 Milyon Kişilik Yardım ÇağrısıPresident-elect gives Colombian guerillas one month to surrender
BOGOTA: Colombia’s hard-right president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Thursday gave the country’s guerrilla groups one month to surrender, taking a tough stand on an issue that helped propel him to victory. De la Espriella won Sunday’s tightly-fought presidential election by less than a percentage point as Colombia endures its highest levels of violence in a decade. “To all those acting outside the law, you have one month to arrange your submission,” the millionaire lawyer said in his first speech since official results confirmed his electoral win. “In my administration, there will be no generous offers or unacceptable concessions.” During the campaign, he said he wanted to conduct bombing campaigns against guerrillas and construct “mega-prisons” like those of El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele. The 47-year-old’s victory marks the end of Colombia’s first-ever leftist government led by President Gustavo Petro. The president-elect once called for the left to be “gutted” but later toned down his words. Defeated leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda has warned that the left will resort to “peaceful civil disobedience” if necessary, while distancing himself from post-election violence following Sunday’s results. De la Espriella also plans to forge a military alliance with the United States and Israel to achieve his aims. In an X post on Wednesday, he said Colombia and Israel would share a relationship “like never before” after speaking with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. He called his win at the polls an “epic triumph” during Thursday’s speech. “It came from the people, against the parties, against political scheming, and against the establishment,” he said, adding: “I will not let you down.” In a report published Thursday, the United Nations said drug crops in Colombia, the world’s largest cocaine producer, increased by 3.5 percent in 2024 as compared to the previous year. Published in Dawn, June 26, 2026
Kolombiya'nın yeni lideri gerillalara bir ayda teslim ol çağrısı yaptıWorld expresses solidarity with Venezuela after deadly earthquakes, offers assistance
Venezuelans saw buildings crumbling on Wednesday evening when two powerful earthquakes shook the country, leaving at least 32 dead and hundreds injured. Video footage showed emergency workers scrambling over the pancaked debris of a collapsed building in the capital as night fell, while distraught relatives sought help for loved ones believed to be trapped. Several dazed survivors were taken away, some on stretchers. The US Geological Survey, using predictive modeling to estimate the death toll, said it would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000. Meanwhile, countries in Latin America and beyond extended condolences and offers of help. ‘Deeply saddened’ From Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed solidarity with Venezuelans in “ this difficult and challenging time”. “Deeply saddened by the devastation and loss of life caused by the earthquakes in Venezuela. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Venezuela, especially the families of the victims. We pray for the injured and stand in solidarity with all those affected during this difficult and challenging time,” he posted on X. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq joined the prime minister in expressing solidarity with those affected, saying: “I’m deeply grieved to learn about the terrible loss of life and devastation caused by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela. My deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families. I also wish a speedy recovery to those injured.” US ‘willing and able’ US President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Americal was “willing and able to help”. “The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. “The USA stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends,” he said. ‘Mexico always stands in solidarity’ Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X that she had “ordered the necessary aid to be prepared.” “For the time being, they have asked us for support in the form of specialist rescue and medical personnel. Mexico always stands in solidarity and always will,” she wrote. El Salvador aid ‘ready to leave’ El Salvador President Nayib Bukele wrote on X that “300 rescuers and paramedics, along with 50 tons of equipment, medicines, and basic supplies, are ready to leave for Caracas.” ‘Great concern’ Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva posted on X: “I learned, with great concern and dismay, of the impact of the earthquake that struck Venezuela,” said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “I reaffirm our determination to support the government of acting President Delcy Rodrguez in the recovery of the affected areas of that sister country, whose people have shown great resilience in the face of adversity.” Cuba ‘fully mobilised’ Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on X, “I express my deepest condolences and solidarity to the government and brother people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for the loss of life and damage caused by the earthquake. “Cuban health workers there are fully mobilised and providing medical services to the affected population.” Argentina ‘closely following’ A statement by Argentina’s presidency stated: “The Argentine Republic is closely following the evolution of the situation and expresses its readiness to collaborate with whatever humanitarian assistance may be required, in coordination with the corresponding international organisations. “Beyond the differences that may exist between our governments, President Javier G. Milei extends his hand in solidarity to the Venezuelan people.” Uruguay ‘willing to collaborate’ Uruguay President Yamandu Orsi also wrote on X, “Uruguay expresses its solidarity with the Venezuelan authorities and people. We are closely following the evolution of the situation and reiterate our willingness to collaborate in whatever the Venezuelan government deems necessary.” Chile ‘deplores’ tragedy The Chilean foreign ministry said the Chilean government “expresses its solidarity with the government and people of Venezuela following the earthquake that struck this afternoon, affecting a large area of that country and causing significant material damage and possible casualties”. “The Chilean government deplores this tragedy and stands ready to provide humanitarian and rescue assistance should it be required,” it added. Ecuador guided by ‘humanity’ Ecuador President Daniel Noboa expressed “solidarity with the brother people of Venezuela”. “I have ordered the immediate dispatch of humanitarian aid to respond to this emergency. Ecuador will respond with the speed and commitment that this moment demands because, despite enormous differences, humanity must always guide a leader’s actions.” Costa Rica ‘wholeheartedly embraces’ Costa Rica’s presidency said in a statement that the country “wholeheartedly embraces the Venezuelan people at this time of grief following the earthquake that shook their country”. “Our solidarity lies with every affected family and with those who are working today to save lives and rebuild hope. You are not alone,” the statement said. Dominican Republic readies teams Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said the military had readied “specialised search, rescue, and emergency response teams” to support the Venezuelan authorities. Spain’s ‘full support’ Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, “We offer our full support to the Venezuelan people following tonight’s devastating earthquakes. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Venezuela'da Peş Peşe Depremler: 32 Ölü, Dünya Yardım Teklif EdiyorDünya Venezuela için seferber oldu
Venezuela'da en az 32 kişinin hayatını kaybettiği iki büyük depremin ardından dünyanın her yerinden yardım teklifi yağdı. Birçok ülke arama-kurtarma ekipleri, sağlık personeli ve insani yardım göndermeye hazır olduğunu açıkladı. VENEZUELA'DA İKİ BÜYÜK DEPREM Venezuela'da en az 32 kişinin yaşamını yitirdiği ve yüzlerce kişinin yaralandığı iki büyük depremin ardından ABD ile Latin Amerika ülkelerinin büyük bölümü Karakas yönetimine destek mesajları gönderdi. Birçok ülke, arama-kurtarma ekipleri ve insani yardımı hızla bölgeye ulaştırmaya hazır olduklarını duyurdu. TRUMP: YARDIMA HAZIRIZ ABD Başkanı Donald Trump, Truth Social hesabından yaptığı paylaşımda depremlerin "çok büyük yıkıma ve çok sayıda can kaybına yol açtığını" belirtti. Trump, "ABD yardım etmeye hazır, istekli ve bunu yapabilecek kapasiteye sahip. Tüm kurumlara hızlı hareket etmeleri talimatını verdim. Yeni dostlarımızın yanında olacağız." ifadelerini kullandı. MEKSİKA UZMAN EKİP GÖNDERECEK Meksika Devlet Başkanı Claudia Sheinbaum, gerekli yardım hazırlıklarının başlatılması talimatını verdiğini açıkladı. Sheinbaum, Venezuela'nın öncelikle uzman arama-kurtarma ekipleri ile sağlık personeli talep ettiğini belirterek, "Meksika her zaman dayanışma içindedir ve öyle olmaya devam edecektir." dedi. EL SALVADOR'DAN 300 KİŞİLİK EKİP El Salvador Devlet Başkanı Nayib Bukele, 300 arama-kurtarma görevlisi ve sağlık çalışanının, 50 tonluk ekipman, ilaç ve temel ihtiyaç malzemesiyle birlikte Karakas'a gitmeye hazır olduğunu duyurdu. BREZİLYA: DESTEK VERMEYE KARARLIYIZ Brezilya Devlet Başkanı Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, deprem haberini "büyük üzüntüyle" karşıladığını belirtti. Lula, geçici Devlet Başkanı Delcy Rodriguez hükümetine destek vermeye hazır olduklarını ifade ederek, "Kardeş Venezuela halkı bugüne kadar büyük bir dayanıklılık gösterdi. Etkilenen bölgelerin yeniden ayağa kaldırılması için desteğimizi sürdüreceğiz." dedi. KÜBA SAĞLIK EKİPLERİNİ SEFERBER ETTİ Küba Dışişleri Bakanı Bruno Rodriguez, depremde hayatını kaybedenler için taziyelerini ileterek Kübalı sağlık çalışanlarının Venezuela'da tam kapasiteyle görev yaptığını ve depremzedelere sağlık hizmeti sunduğunu açıkladı. ARJANTİN: İNSANİ YARDIMA HAZIRIZ Arjantin Devlet Başkanlığı, uluslararası kuruluşlarla koordinasyon içinde ihtiyaç duyulacak her türlü insani yardıma katkı sağlamaya hazır olduklarını duyurdu. Açıklamada, "Hükümetlerimiz arasında görüş ayrılıkları bulunsa da Devlet Başkanı Javier Milei dayanışma elini Venezuela halkına uzatıyor." denildi. URUGUAY VE ŞİLİ'DEN DESTEK MESAJI Uruguay Devlet Başkanı Yamandu Orsi, ülkesinin Venezuela makamlarıyla dayanışma içinde olduğunu belirterek ihtiyaç duyulan her konuda destek vermeye hazır olduklarını söyledi. Şili Dışişleri Bakanlığı ise deprem nedeniyle yaşanan can kayıpları ve büyük maddi hasardan duydukları üzüntüyü dile getirirken, gerekli görülmesi halinde insani yardım ve arama-kurtarma desteği sağlamaya hazır olduklarını açıkladı. EKVADOR: İNSANLIK HER ŞEYİN ÖNÜNDE GELİR Ekvador Devlet Başkanı Daniel Noboa, Venezuela'ya acil insani yardım gönderilmesi talimatını verdiğini açıkladı. Noboa, "Aramızdaki büyük görüş ayrılıklarına rağmen, insanlık her zaman bir liderin kararlarına yön vermelidir." ifadelerini kullandı. KOSTA RİKA, DOMİNİK CUMHURİYETİ VE İSPANYA DA YARDIM TEKLİF ETTİ Kosta Rika Devlet Başkanlığı, depremden etkilenen Venezuela halkıyla dayanışma içinde olduklarını belirterek, "Hayat kurtarmak ve umutları yeniden yeşertmek için çalışan herkesin yanındayız. Yalnız değilsiniz." açıklamasını yaptı. Dominik Cumhuriyeti Devlet Başkanı Luis Abinader ise Venezuela makamlarına destek vermek amacıyla uzman arama-kurtarma ve acil müdahale ekiplerinin hazır bekletildiğini duyurdu. İspanya Başbakanı Pedro Sanchez de Venezuela halkına "tam destek" mesajı vererek, "Düşüncelerimiz depremde hayatını kaybedenler ve aileleriyle birlikte." ifadelerini kullandı.
Venezuela'da iki depremde en az 32 ölü; küresel yardım seferberliğiFrom Bolsonaro and Bukele to Fujimori and De la Espriella: Trump and Latin America's rightward turn
Soon after the US president first moved into the White House, his policies and outspoken backing for certain candidates inspired a new wave of Latin American leaders now shaping the continent’s future.
Sunday's election could put Colombia back on team Trump
On Sunday, Colombians will go to the polls for the first round of their presidential elections, a race that could radically reshape Colombia’s relations with the United States at a moment of political turmoil and polarization in Latin America. The key contenders include the ruling party’s candidate, Iván Cepeda; conservative outsider Abelardo De la Espriella; and Paloma Valencia of former President Álvaro Uribe’s center-right party, Centro Democrático. Currently, no candidate is polling over 50%, so a runoff between the top two candidates is projected for June 21, 2026. This election comes within the context of heightened concerns over political violence, with the civil society Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) reporting 565 acts of political violence since January 2025. This has included the assassination of a presidential hopeful, kidnappings, attacks targeting candidates and campaign staff, vandalism of campaign offices, and death threats. Apart from rising violence in the country, campaign issues include great economic discontent, the deeply polarized legacy of President Gustavo Petro, and tense diplomatic relations with the U.S. over anti-narcotics efforts and security policy. The leading candidates present three distinct visions for Colombia’s future. Iván Cepeda, senator for the Historic Pact party, is the former leader of the Movement for Victims of State Crimes and a former peace negotiator involved in the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerilla peace dialogues. He plans to advance peace and negotiations with illegal armed groups and focuses on truth and reconciliation. Cepeda proposes advancing Petro’s agrarian reforms, pursuing an energy transition to curb climate change and investing in education. His security proposal goes beyond an exclusively military response, focusing on improving human rights and dismantling the financial infrastructure of criminal groups. He proposes an autonomous, peace-oriented foreign policy that emphasizes Latin American integration, migrant protection, global anti-militarism, and strict adherence to international law. Aberlardo de la Espriella, the candidate for Defensores de la Patria, is a conservative outsider and criminal lawyer with a controversial past who describes himself as not being a politician. His security proposal mirrors that of El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, and his economic model that of Argentina’s Javier Milei. He would end peace negotiations and tackle narcotrafficking and organized crime with military force. De la Espriella supports fracking, new oil contracts, and cutting taxes for the private sector. He’d advance a Plan Colombia 2.0 that is aligned with the Trump administration’s anti-narcotics strategy and would resume aerial fumigation of coca crops that was halted by the Petro administration. Paloma Valencia, a senator and prominent member of the center-right opposition party, proposes a Plan 30-30 for security, which would recruit 30,000 new members each to the military and police and increase the defense budget to 4% of Colombia’s GDP. Valencia would end the peace dialogues, militarize insecure areas, and resume aerial fumigation. She proposed opening a 22,000-capacity penitentiary and prison with 19,000 spots and restricting social protests. She further proposes that Colombia participate in the U.S. plan to reconstruct Venezuela, and she wants to request a $50 billion loan from the U.S. to refinance Colombia’s external debt. Similar to de la Espriella, Valencia wants a Plan Colombia 2.0 to combat narco-trafficking. Both Valencia and de la Espriella propose including Colombia in the Shield of the Americas, created by the Trump administration, and have engaged with administration officials and Republican members of Congress. The results of Colombia’s 2026 presidential race will have a significant impact on U.S.-Colombia relations and the Trump administration’s strategic goals in Latin America. Since Petro took office in 2022, the long-standing bipartisan strategic relationship between the two countries has faced growing strains, driven in part by tensions between Petro and a group of Republican lawmakers, particularly from Florida, who have used anti-Petro rhetoric to appeal to conservative Latino voters. Since January 2025, Trump and Petro have repeatedly clashed on X, resulting in the temporary recall of ambassadors and threats of tariffs. Petro also strongly criticized U.S. boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific that have killed at least 196 people to date. The Petro administration’s decision in May 2025 to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative further widened the rift with Washington. In response, the Treasury Department sanctioned Petro and others, and the U.S. decertified Colombia for failing to meet its counternarcotics commitments. (Decertification can lead to U.S. foreign assistance suspension, the U.S. blocking Colombia from obtaining international loans, and visa cancellations.) Things came to a head last December, when Trump warned that Petro “could be next” after the U.S. overthrow of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. Tensions cooled off after the two men met at the White House on February 7. But no sanctions were lifted, Colombia remains decertified, and no new aid for Colombia has been announced. (Colombia saw a massive reduction in U.S. assistance as part of the elimination of USAID and overall foreign aid cuts in 2025.) The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are looking to the Colombian elections in hopes that the next president in Bogota will restore the strong strategic relationship with the U.S. that existed before Petro. This includes creating alliances of like-minded conservative leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean, as was reflected in the Shield of the Americas Summit held in Doral, Florida, in March. While framed as a way to build a multinational military partnership against drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations, the summit excluded leftist governments in the region, including Colombia — where most of the world’s cocaine is produced. The Trump administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy advances a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine aimed at restoring U.S. primacy in the Western Hemisphere through an “enlist and expand” approach focused on curbing irregular migration, weakening cartels, and nearshoring manufacturing. The strategy also reorients the region toward competition with extra-hemispheric powers such as China and Russia, using economic pressure, tariffs, and expanded military engagement to secure supply chains and strengthen regional partnerships. Similarly, the 2026 National Defense Strategy places greater emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, prioritizing efforts to combat drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations, limit China’s influence, and deepen regional defense cooperation. Given Colombia’s regional importance to the United States, the Trump administration may try to shape Colombia’s elections, as it has in Argentina and Honduras. So far, the administration has presented its role as one of monitoring and promoting transparency. At the U.S. Embassy's request, the National Electoral Council authorized a U.S. election observation mission of 86 government officials, who will be deployed across 15 areas to assess transparency, security, and voting in high-risk locations during both presidential rounds. Regardless of the results this coming Sunday, and in the likely second round in June, the next president should support peace and inclusion policies in the country, while maintaining a respectful diplomatic relationship with the U.S. For Cepeda, that may be easier said than done. A victory for Petro’s successor will most likely mean continued U.S.-Colombia tensions, particularly as Trump threatens regime change in Cuba and strives to push Latin American politics to the right. Meanwhile, if either of Cepeda’s challengers wins, Trump could gain a major new ally in Latin America — and a willing partner for implementing his “Donroe Doctrine.”
Kolombiya seçimleri ABD ile ilişkileri yeniden Trump eksenine çekebilirNo clear winner: Colombia's hard right and left will battle out in runoff
Right-wing outsider Abelardo de la Espriella and left-wing senator Ivan Cepeda have emerged victorious in Colombia’s high-stakes, first-round presidential election Sunday, setting the stage for a tight runoff on June 21 that could reshape the country’s relationship with the Trump administration and political dynamics across Latin America. De la Espriella, 47, a criminal lawyer and businessman with the Defenders of the Homeland movement, won 10.3 million votes, or 43.7% of the total—shy of the 50% required to clinch victory in the first round—while Cepeda, 63, a human rights activist and former peace negotiator with President Gustavo Petro’s Historic Pact party, won 9.65 million votes, or 41% of the total. Trailing far behind were center-right senator Paloma Valencia of former president Álvaro Uribe’s Democratic Center party, with 1.6 million votes, or 7% of the total, and Sergio Fajardo, of the centrist Dignity and Commitment party, with 1 million votes, or 4% of the total. The preliminary vote tallies came in within less than two hours of polls closing at 4 p.m. local time. De la Espriella easily took the country’s central highlands and eastern plains, where Colombia’s largely conservative, majority-white urban centers are located, while Cepeda won the regions on the country’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts and Amazon rainforest, where Colombia’s Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations are the majority. According to Colombia’s National Electoral Council (CNE), nearly 24 million Colombians voted at 118,346 polling tables across 13,489 voting stations nationwide, as well as 2,181 polling tables across 253 voting stations in 67 other countries, for a participation rate of around 57.5%. This was somewhat higher than in the 2022 first-round elections, which Petro, who is limited to a single term, won with 40% of the vote. Sunday’s elections unfolded across the South American country of 54 million people (41 million of whom are eligible to vote) without major incidents or violent episodes, although the country’s non-governmental Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) registered hundreds of presumed anomalies and electoral violations, including armed actors restricting voter mobility, political campaigning at polling stations, attempts at vote-buying and imitation of electoral authorities, and widespread online disinformation campaigns, among others. Petro and Cepeda have urged electoral authorities to scrutinize potential irregularities and ratify the count before accepting the final tally. Election monitors said that nearly a quarter of Colombia’s 1,110 municipalities faced risk of violence from Colombia’s myriad irregular armed groups on election day, while Colombia’s defense ministry deployed over 400,000 soldiers and police to safeguard the vote. The pro-Trump De la Espriella, who calls himself “The Tiger” and promises to convert the violence-afflicted nation into a “Miracle Country,” jumped ahead in most major polls — which for months had him trailing behind both Cepeda and Valencia — in recent weeks, bolstered by his aggressive use of social media, support from charismatic Evangelical pastors, and backing from key conservative figures across Latin America. His efforts to win in the first round, however, fell short despite last minute attempts to shift voter intention even after campaigning had formally closed the weekend before. On Friday night before the election, President Daniel Noboa of neighboring Ecuador joined a live stream with De la Espriella where he announced that 75% tariffs he had enacted on Colombian imports would be lifted the day after Sunday’s vote, a move denounced by Colombia’s foreign ministry as a form of electoral interference. In a similar vein, U.S. senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) — who joined an 86-member State Department electoral observation mission on Sunday after visiting President Noboa in Ecuador last week — along with Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), have made several statements in the days leading up to the vote implicitly encouraging voters to vote for De la Espriella and reject Cepeda. The June 21 runoff pits diametrically opposed visions for Latin America’s third largest country and economy against one another. De la Espriella has promised to end Petro’s “Total Peace” negotiations with the country’s guerilla, paramilitary, and criminal groups; unleash lethal military force to fight drug trafficking, and construct ten maximum-security prisons for low-level criminals just has President Nayib Bukele has in El Salvador. He also wants to cut taxes for the private sector, resume aerial fumigation of coca crops, join the Trump administration’s “Shield of the Americas” consortium, and issue new concessions for fracking and oil exploration. Cepeda, on the other hand, intends to double-down on the demobilization of armed actors through peace negotiations and intensify the country’s clean energy transition. He promises to center human rights and combat illicit finance as the cornerstone of his counternarcotics strategy, and seeks to deepen Colombia’s leadership role in Latin America, invest in public education, and prioritize anti-militarism and international law in the country’s foreign affairs. The second round runoff will likely come down to whether the roughly 12% who voted for Valencia and Fajardo will opt for De la Espriella or Cepeda. It’s likely that Fajardo’s 4% will mostly swing in favor of Cepeda and Valencia’s 7% will go for De La Espriella — putting him above the 50% needed — though many of Valencia’s more centrist voters attracted to her openly-gay, liberal running mate, Juan Daniel Oviedo, may be put off by De La Espriella’s conservative family values and outwardly misogynistic behavior, and instead vote for Cepeda. It’s also expected that voter turnout will be considerably higher in the second round — as it typically has been in past votes — with many Cepeda supporters opting to stay at home in the first round given most polling had put him squarely in the lead, yet not hitting the 50% mark required to win outright. This dynamic could work to Cepeda’s favor, as it did in Colombia’s 2022 presidential elections, when the two right-wing and center-right candidates won a combined 52% to Petro’s 40% in the first round, but a surge in last-minute support and voter turnout for Petro’s movement catapulted him to over 50% for a victory in the runoff. Even if De la Espriella wins the June 21 vote, he will likely face an uphill battle getting some of his more radical proposals passed into law. Petro’s Historic Pact party won a plurality of Colombia’s Senate and House of Representatives seats in the country’s March 8 legislative elections, while De la Espriella’s party has just one congressman and four senators in the legislature, making it likely he would have to form coalitions with centrist parties and moderate some of his proposals for them to have a chance at becoming law. If Cepeda wins the June runoff, he is likely to face similar governance challenges as well as an uphill battle with the Trump administration — as Petro has — though his cooler demeanor and more pragmatic work-style may facilitate the country’s long-standing institutional and operational relationships with its U.S. counterparts despite possible tensions between the executives. Meanwhile, with a De la Espriella victory, the Trump administration would gain a major new ally in Latin America’s epicenter — and a partner more than willing to accelerate the spread of the “Donroe Doctrine” at a key inflection point in the regional balance of power.
Kolombiya'da İlk Turdan Net Kazanan Çıkmadı: De la Espriella ve Cepeda İkinci Turda Yarışacak