{"id":2871,"date":"2026-06-21T23:03:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T23:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2871"},"modified":"2026-06-21T23:03:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T23:03:43","slug":"historic-day-for-colombians-de-la-espriella-moves-ahead-of-cepeda-in-close-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2871","title":{"rendered":"Historic day for Colombians: De la Espriella moves ahead of Cepeda in close race"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 Colombians made history on Sunday as they voted for the country\u2019s 48th president in a runoff election between left-wing candidate Iv\u00e1n Cepeda and right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella.<\/p>\n

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With 99.8% of the precincts counted, 49.65% of the votes were for De La Espriella, 47, and 48.71% of the votes were for Cepeda, 63, according to the Colombian National Registry\u2019s latest report. <\/p>\n

El Tiempo, the newspaper with the largest circulation in the country, declared: \u201cAbelardo de la Espriella, President of Colombia, after winning the preliminary count; the National Registry confirms the robustness of the results.\u201d <\/p>\n

There were more than 250 precincts for the Colombian diaspora worldwide. In South Florida, Colombian voters cast their ballots in Coral Gables, Kendall, Hialeah, Coral Springs, and Weston. <\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the United States Congress, we congratulate the next President of the sister Republic of Colombia,\u201d U.S. Rep. Carlos Gim\u00e9nez, a supporter of De La Espriella, wrote on X. <\/p>\n

U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed De La Espriella, a defense attorney and businessman who campaigned as \u201cThe Tiger,\u201d and who is a fan of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, democracy wins,\u201d De La Espriella told reporters in Spanish after he voted in Barranquilla.<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar, a supporter of De La Espriella, was also in Barranquilla. <\/p>\n

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\u201cWe want a prosperous Colombia,\u201d Salazar told reporters in Spanish. <\/p>\n

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whose four-year term ends on Aug. 7, endorsed Cepeda, a senator who is a political rival of former Colombian President \u00c1lvaro Uribe, who served from 2002 to 2010.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us vote with calm and serenity, and may democracy triumph,\u201d Cepeda told reporters in Spanish after he voted in Bogot\u00e1.<\/p>\n

Cepeda campaigned as the candidate who wants to protect the environment, continue negotiations for the surrender of armed groups, and prioritize welfare programs. <\/p>\n

The precincts in South Florida opened at 8 a.m. and closed at 4 p.m. Some voters carried flags, some wore their team\u2019s yellow FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer jerseys, and some wore white to symbolize peace. <\/p>\n

In Miami-Dade County, there were three precincts at the University of Miami\u2019s Watsco Center, Miami Dade College\u2019s Kendall campus gymnasium, and the Milander Center for Arts and Entertainment.<\/p>\n

In Broward County, there were two precincts at Coral Springs High School and Cypress Bay High School\u2019s gymnasium. <\/p>\n

During the presidential election\u2019s first round on May 31, De la Espriella had 43.73% of the votes when he qualified for the runoff against Cepeda, who had 40.91% of the votes. About 70% of the voters in the U.S. chose De La Espriella on May 31.<\/p>\n

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For information about the election\u2019s results, visit this page. <\/p>\n

Related reporting<\/b><\/p>\n