On Sunday, I reported that the South American country of Colombia was on the verge of swinging back to the right after a four-year experiment with a corrupt socialist president, Gustavo Petro. This would be great for the Colombian people, of course, but it would also be huge for the entire region for any number of reasons — economics, crime, security, counter-narco-terrorism efforts, and further isolation of some of the few remaining socialist holdouts. It could even inspire Brazilian voters to make the right decision come October when their own little commie president is up for re-election.
I mean, Colombia is harboring guerrilla insurgencies and cartels whose violence spills over its borders into dozens of other countries, and it produces roughly two-thirds of all the cocaine in the world. Imagine the country having a leader who is aligned with Donald Trump and others in the region at this unique moment in time, and who is ready to actually combat all that.
So, back to the elections. On Sunday, it was expected that Petro's hand-picked heir to the throne, Ivan Cepeda, would get the most of the vote. One reason why is that the right was kind of split between two candidates, and one of them hadn't even won a primary. Well, that "outsider," Abelardo de la Espriella, aka "El Tigre," actually crushed expectations, and he got approximately 43.7% of the vote. Cepeda got around 41%. Few people saw that coming.
Unfortunately, de la Espriella didn't get 50% of the vote, so he and Cepeda will face a runoff on June 21. The third candidate, Paloma Valencia, endorsed de la Espriella almost immediately on Sunday night, which will go a long way in helping him secure a win on June 21.
But now, something else has happened that could help. I've wondered for months if Trump would endorse a candidate in this race (several members of Congress have), and on Tuesday night, he did just that, posting the following on social media:
Congratulations to Colombian Presidential Candidate, 'El Tigre (THE TIGER),' Abelardo de la Espriella, a Smart, Strong, and Tough Leader, on his decisive Victory in the first round of the Colombian Presidential Election! Abelardo fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America. As President, Abelardo would be tremendously successful in leading Colombia to Grow the Economy, Create Jobs, Promote Trade, Stop Illegal Immigration, Crack Down on Crime and Drugs, and Restore LAW AND ORDER! Abelardo will face off against a Radical Left Marxist in the Runoff on June 21st - The results of this Election are very important to the future of Colombia and its relationship to the United States. Because of his tremendous accomplishments in life, and his political support for me, personally, it is my Honor to give Abelardo my Complete and Total Endorsement. "EL TIGRE" ABELARDO DE LA ESPRIELLA WILL NOT LET THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF COLOMBIA DOWN! President DONALD J. TRUMP
As I mentioned on Sunday, de la Espriella's political heroes are Trump, Argentine president Javier Milei, and Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele. That's pretty much all you need to know about him. Here's how he responded to the president (translated from Spanish). It's quite long but worth the read because it gives you an even better idea of who he is and what he stands for.
Dear President Donald J. Trump,
With my head held high and a heart full of patriotic gratitude, I receive your words and your steadfast support. Thank you, Mr. President!
In you, I see a leader of true strength and conviction — one who refuses to yield to passing ideological trends or the enemies of freedom. You have paved the way for the people to defeat the entrenched powers that have long held sway. In Colombia, we have now begun to follow that same path.
The United States and Colombia are sister nations, bound by the blood of heroes and by our shared destiny to defend Western civilization across the Americas. Together, we are unbreakable. This partnership—forged and strengthened by two leaders who respect each other and share the same unshakable values and principles—will bring greater prosperity to our peoples, greater security to our families, and a brighter future for both our nations.
Our security policies are fully aligned: narcoterrorism is the cancer destroying our societies, and we will confront it relentlessly, with iron resolve and without apology.
We stand together in the sacred defense of private property, free enterprise, productive growth, and the well-being of our citizens as the highest purpose of government. We defend liberty, we present a united front against the communism that seeks to poison our republics, and we will join the Alliance of the Shield of the Americas so that the light of freedom never dims in this hemisphere.
May God, Family, and Prosperity guide us. In this coming Era of the Tiger—which begins on June 21—we look forward to the full normalization of relations between Colombia and the United States, built on mutual respect, sovereignty, and mutual benefit.
May God bless Colombia and the United States of America!
Firm for the Homeland!
(A.D.L.E.)
He included an AI-generated image of a tiger and an eagle and a "Make Colombia Great Again" hat:
— Alvaro Avila (@alvarojavila) June 3, 2026
So, his opponent on the right has thrown her support behind him and encouraged her voters to do the same. The president of the United States, who is quite popular in Latin America right now after the whole Nicolás Maduro thing, has endorsed him.
Seems like he'll win easily, right? Well…
While there is still some question about centrist voters, the main problem is Petro. The problem is always Petro in Colombia these days. As you can imagine, he didn't take Cepeda's coming in second place lightly, especially after he was projected to come in first. And, as you know, leftists never want to play by the rules. Petro is already challenging the results, complaining about the software used to count votes, accusing de la Espriella of vote buying and other fraud, and saying he won't accept the results until a final judicial review is conducted.
But Colombian officials, and even international observers, like the EU Electoral Observation Mission, are pushing back, saying everything was on the up and up. Even Cepeda himself is distancing himself a bit from Petro's absurd claims.
And this isn't scientific, but I can't stress enough that I've heard from several readers over the last few months — with ties to Colombia — who have been all-in for "El Tigre" from day one.
I actually spoke to a lady from Colombia who is temporarily living outside the country, who told me quite excitedly that she couldn't wait for the opportunity to vote for this man after four years of Petro. I also have a reader, Matt, who is a U.S. veteran but who currently lives in Colombia, and who has kept me updated on what he sees and hears from the people he encounters inside the country. The passion for de la Espriella to become their next leader is palpable, particularly among younger people. He's even told me of Colombians he's encountered who initially planned to vote for, say, Valencia, but who changed their minds at the last minute. The momentum is real.
On Wednesday, Rubio testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the State Department's budget for the next year, and Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) brought up the Colombian elections.
"We have information, sir, that there are forces preparing a major election fraud coming up in three weeks," she said. "My question to you is very clear: We need to send a message to the Colombians that they need to have free and fair elections. So, are we prepared to say that whoever participates in that kind of fraud process during the presidential election — can we sanction them with OFAC sanctions, cancel United States visas for them or their family members…"
While Rubio couldn't commit to that, he did say this: "Yeah…I would say to you that we're going to be very forceful in ensuring that there's a free and fair election in Colombia and do everything in our power to ensure that that happens." He later spoke on the possibility of Colombia joining the Shield of the Americas alliance if de la Espriella wins. Quite frankly, that'd be amazing to see.
And Petro already knows that Trump and Rubio and basically the entire Western Hemisphere are watching him, and I think Trump's endorsement reinforced that. Attempting any funny business before or after the runoff probably won't end well for him.
Related: Day 2: Rubio Enters a Hostile Clown Show, and... Well, You Just Have to See This
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