Conservative leads Colombia presidential race with most votes in

Right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella on Monday appeared to have narrowly beaten the leftist ruling party’s candidate with nearly all votes counted. De la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer, gained 49.7% of the vote, while about 48.7% of voters chose politician Ivan Cepeda Castro, according to the Colombian government. An official result of the presidential runoff hadn’t yet been declared as of Monday afternoon.

Current President Gustavo Petro late Sunday accused Israel of rigging the election by tampering with Colombia’s national registry. He called for an expert recount of all votes and urged citizens to stay calm.

De la Espriella has pledged to reverse many of Petro’s policies, especially regarding the economy, immigration, drug trafficking, and relations with the United States and Israel. Speaking on Sunday night from behind bulletproof glass, he said his victory marked a new era of hope and national dignity.

How have world leaders reacted to the initial election results? U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously announced his support of de la Espriella, posted a celebratory message on social media Sunday night. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he spoke with de la Espriella to congratulate him, and that he looked forward to working together on regional security, economic cooperation, and ending illegal immigration to the United States.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also congratulated de la Espriella, saying he invited him to visit Israel soon and that he looked forward to resetting relations between the two countries. Sa’ar did not comment on Petro's claim of election interference. Argentine President Javier Milei also congratulated de la Espriella.

Dig deeper: Read my report on earlier elections in Colombia in March.