Colombia election heads to run-off

A leftist senator and a rightwing populist outsider who admires Donald Trump will go to a run-off presidential election on June 21 after no candidate won outright in the first round of voting on May 31

FIRST ROUND RESULT
Espriella
43.7%
Votes: 10.4 million
Cepeda
40.9%
Votes: 9.6 million

Abelardo de la Espriella, 47
Right-wing lawyer and millionaire businessman known as “El Tigre”

Vows to mend relationship with U.S. and promises to build 10 mega-prisons in jungle in style of El Salvador’s strongman leader Nayib Bukele as part of plan to tackle crime and illegal armed groups

De la Espriella campaigns on market-friendly platform and plans to lower taxes and encourage private mining and energy investment

Iván Cepeda, 63
Left-wing senator and human rights advocate

Son of murdered communist leader, pledges to continue outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s policy of seeking negotiations with insurgent groups

Plans to reduce inequality by raising taxes on high-income earners, granting one million hectares to victims of country’s six-decade internal conflict, and expanding healthcare coverage

Sources: Reuters, BBC, FT
Pictures: Getty Images
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