Colombians are heading to the polls for a presidential runoff between a far-right candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella, and a left-wing senator, Iván Cepeda. De la Espriella, who has been backed by former US President Donald Trump, has campaigned on a platform of fighting crime and corruption with an “iron fist” approach.

Platform and Policies

De la Espriella, a dual Colombian-US citizen, has also spoken favorably of Trump’s policies and has vowed to build mega prisons for Colombia’s criminal leaders. His campaign advocates for a free-market economic agenda, including a smaller state, lower taxes, and resource extraction. He has also opposed abortion, adoption by same-sex couples, and “gender-ideology,” casting himself as a defender of the “traditional family.”

Cepeda, on the other hand, has centered his campaign on fighting inequality, deepening agrarian reform, and tackling corruption. He has also criticized decades of US-backed counternarcotics policy and opposed military intervention in Latin America.

Security and Violence

The election comes at a time of mounting political tension and polarization in Colombia, with a rise in political violence and a growing sense of insecurity among citizens. De la Espriella has called for using aggressive military tactics against armed groups, including a controversial bombing campaign in coordination with the United States.

Cepeda has argued that negotiations remain necessary in a conflict too dispersed to solve by force alone, though he acknowledges that the current approach has fallen short. He has pledged to draw a “red line” against any negotiations with groups that continue assassinating social leaders.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.