LAKE WORTH, Fla. — Colombia is set to have a new leader.
With 99.9% of the vote counted, far-right conservative businessman Abelardo De la Espriella has secured 12.9 million votes in the country's presidential runoff election — and is already celebrating his lead on social media as vote counting continues.
De la Espriella, endorsed by President Donald Trump and known as "The Tiger," leads liberal Senator and activist Iván Cepeda, who was endorsed by current Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
In Palm Beach County, crowds of Colombians turned out to cast their ballots at Palm Beach State College — waving flags, wearing jerseys and hats, and filling the air with chants and the national anthem on the final day to vote.
Voters said security and the economy drove them to the polls, even from miles away. Leonor Fals, who supports de la Espriella, said she felt the stakes could not be higher.
"It's extremely important. We're trying to get communism out of Colombia," Fals said.
Many voters said they cast their ballots with their family's safety in mind, hoping for improvements in violence and corruption back home.
"That's the reason to save Colombia. So that people can live well there, so that they aren't attacked. So they aren't killed when having their cellphone stolen. So they aren't kidnapped, and so their cars aren't stolen," said Fals. "It's total insecurity. People are afraid."
Even those who showed support for Cepeda said showing up to vote was what mattered most.
De la Espriella has promised to go after criminals, build 10 mega-prisons, and boost Colombia's oil and gas sectors. Edgar Zambrano, who supports de la Espriella, said the country needs a leader willing to confront its most pressing problems.
"Going on right now, narcotraffic, safety and corruption," Zambrano said. “We want a leader who is honest, who wants to take the country in his hands and pull us to a new future.”
Many in the crowd called de la Espriella's lead monumental and said they believe it will move their homeland in the right direction.
"I think, and I sincerely believe that God sent him to save Colombia," said Fals.
The first round of elections in May resulted in no clear winner, setting the stage for Sunday’s runoff.
Some quotes in this story have been translated from Spanish. This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
