A year ago, the name Abelardo de la Espriella did not appear on any list of presidential contenders. No one in or outside Colombia had heard of him. Today, however, after the second round of elections and pending the final count, he has become the next president of Colombia.
A lawyer by profession, De la Espriella founded his movement, “Defensores por la Patria,” (Defenders for the Homeland) less than a year ago. In July 2025, he registered his party with a stated purpose: to block the left represented by Gustavo Petro and his successor, left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, who finished less than two points behind his rival.
