De la Espriella gives a victory speech vowing unity as Cepeda awaits the final tally
Key takeaways
- Before a crowd of supporters, De la Espriella centered his address on reconciliation.
- He held that true peace is born of justice and promised the armed forces and the police the backing of a president who, he said, would respect them from August 7, when the transfer of power is scheduled.
- The event, however, was held before the result was official.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella delivered a victory speech on Sunday in Barranquilla, in which he proclaimed himself the winner of Colombia's presidential runoff according to the preliminary count and called for national unity, while the official tally remained under way and his rival, left-wing senator Iv n Cepeda, conditioned recognition of the result on the definitive count.
Before a crowd of supporters, De la Espriella centered his address on reconciliation. ”The electoral campaign is over, the divisions are over (...) and the supreme hour of service to the homeland begins, he said, assuring that there would be no victors or vanquished. The lawyer, who reaches the presidency without prior experience in public office, promised to defend the Constitution with extreme coherence and guaranteed respect for those who did not vote for him: There will be no retaliation, no persecution, because in a democracy there are no irreconcilable enemies.
Security took a central place. Addressing those responsible for violence, terror, drug trafficking and corruption, De la Espriella warned that their time is up and that the authority of the Republic will once again make itself felt across the territory. He held that true peace is born of justice and promised the armed forces and the police the backing of a president who, he said, would respect them from August 7, when the transfer of power is scheduled.