Colombians vote in pivotal runoff: Leftist Cepeda challenges far-right de la Espriella on peace and security

Colombians cast their ballots on Sunday in a presidential runoff that pits leftist Senator Iván Cepeda against far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, a vote that will determine whether the country returns to full-scale military confrontation with armed groups or pursues a negotiated modification of its fragile peace process. Polls opened nationwide amid heightened security after the killing of a senior commander in the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) guerrilla group, underscoring the volatility of a campaign dominated by security policy and economic anxiety.

De la Espriella, who leads in pre-election surveys, has pledged to abandon the current peace plan and escalate military operations against armed factions, a stance that has drawn explicit backing from the White House under former US President Donald Trump . His opponent, Cepeda, argues for adjusting the disarmament framework through dialogue, positioning himself as the successor to the progressive policies of former President Gustavo Petro. The runoff follows a first round in which de la Espriella secured a narrow advantage, setting the stage for a decisive test of Colombia’s political direction.

The election arrives against a backdrop of persistent violence. On Sunday morning, Colombian forces confirmed the death of Marlon, second-in-command of the EMC, in a military operation in Cauca department . The killing, reported hours before polls opened, highlights the ongoing threat posed by armed groups and the centrality of security in voters’ decisions. Analysts describe the runoff as a defining moment for Latin America’s political pendulum, with economic instability and public safety concerns shaping a deeply polarized electorate.

International observers have framed the vote as a referendum on Colombia’s six-decade conflict, which has left hundreds of thousands dead. Mariano Aguirre Ernst, associate fellow at Chatham House’s International Security Programme, notes that the candidates offer “starkly different visions” for ending the violence . De la Espriella’s approach risks reigniting hostilities, while Cepeda’s proposal seeks to salvage the peace process through incremental reforms. The outcome will reverberate beyond Colombia’s borders, signaling whether the region’s leftward shift can withstand pressure from conservative populism backed by Washington.

With results expected late Sunday or early Monday, the election’s immediate aftermath may bring either a return to confrontation or a fragile mandate for dialogue. What is certain is that the victor will inherit a nation still grappling with the ghosts of war—and a peace plan that hangs in the balance.