Pro-Israel Candidate De la Espriella Declares Victory in Colombia

Abelardo De la Espriella, the pro-Israel conservative candidate in Colombia's presidential race, has declared victory after a razor-thin election, pledging to govern on behalf of every Colombian regardless of political affiliation. With more than 99 percent of ballots counted, he told supporters that national unity and reconciliation would be his first priority, vowing, “I will govern for all Colombians.”

De la Espriella held a narrow lead of less than one percentage point over his left-wing rival, Ivan Cepeda, though Colombia's Central Electoral Commission had not yet certified the final results. US President Donald Trump publicly congratulated him, sharing a report on social media and writing, “He won, by a lot!” Cepeda, for his part, maintained that the outcome remained unofficial until the electoral authorities confirmed it.

Israeli leaders moved quickly to welcome the apparent result, anticipating a warmer relationship with Bogotá after years of strain. Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon congratulated the candidate and voiced hope for deeper cooperation between the two nations, while Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar hailed the result with the words, “The Tiger won, Colombia won,” and extended an invitation for De la Espriella to visit Jerusalem. Outgoing President Gustavo Petro, however, rejected the apparent outcome, alleging irregularities and claiming, without offering evidence, that Israeli hackers had manipulated the country's election servers, adding that he would await a ruling from the courts. The warming ties nonetheless mark a notable shift after the cool posture of the departing government.

(INN/VFI News)