23/06/2026 03:05 - Internacionales
On June 21, 2026, Colombians returned to the polls to decide their next president. The result was not just an electoral surprise: it marked a turning point in Latin America's relationship with the United States. Abelardo de la Espriella, the 47-year-old lawyer nicknamed "El Tigre" (The Tiger), won with 49.66% of votes (12,959,515) against 48.70% for Iván Cepeda (12,708,695), according to preliminary counts with 99.99% of polling stations reporting.
Born in Bogotá in 1978 but raised in Montería (a city in Colombia's Caribbean region), De la Espriella presents himself as a political "outsider" with no experience in public office. He holds a law degree from Universidad Sergio Arboleda and founded the law firm De la Espriella Lawyers in 2002, with offices in Colombia and Miami, Florida.
The Republican leader celebrated the victory from his social media platform Truth Social:
"Congratulations to the Colombian candidate, 'El Tigre,' on his decisive victory! Abelardo fights for his great country and loves it, just as I love the United States."
Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (a Cuban-American representing Florida) also expressed support, calling him a "personal friend" and noting his American citizenship.
The left-wing candidate filed a complaint against De la Espriella with the International Criminal Court on June 11, 2026, alleging:
De la Espriella dismissed the accusations as "smokescreens."
Donald Trump's foreign policy toward Latin America has been characterized by:
Selective economic pressure
Mass deportations and "safe third country" agreements
Presence in the Caribbean and joint operations
The Shield of the Americas is a security alliance that held its first forum in Miami with participation from Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic.
| Country | Leader | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Javier Milei | Self-described "number one fan" of Trump. Joint patrol agreement in the South Atlantic. |
| El Salvador | Nayib Bukele | First leader received in the Oval Office. Accepts deported migrants at CECOT (Terrorism Confinement Center). |
| Ecuador | Daniel Noboa | Joint anti-drug operations. Deportations doubled in 2026. |
| Paraguay | Santiago Peña | "Safe third country" agreement for asylum requests. |
| Chile | José Antonio Kast | Memorandum for lithium and copper exploitation with the U.S. |
| Honduras | Nasry Asfura | Radical shift in foreign policy. Reforms favorable to Washington. |
| Colombia | Abelardo de la Espriella | Seeks alignment with Shield of the Americas and breaking ties with Venezuela. |
Brazil (Lula da Silva): Trump imposed 50% tariffs to pressure for the trial of former president Bolsonaro. Lula responded that he "was not elected to be emperor of the world." Subsequently, there was a rapprochement.
Mexico (Claudia Sheinbaum): Complex negotiations over the 3,000 km shared border. She managed to pause maximum tariffs in exchange for historic extraditions of drug traffickers.
Venezuela (Delcy Rodríguez): After Maduro's capture, accepts Washington's conditions for partial sanctions relief. Cut oil shipments to Cuba.
Nicaragua (Ortega-Murillo): Constant sanctions. Openly anti-American rhetoric and close ties with Cuba and China.
Cuba (Díaz-Canel): Oil blockade in 2026. Charges against Raúl Castro. Returned to list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Brazil will be the next major electoral battleground. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva seeks re-election against Flavio Bolsonaro (son of former president Jair Bolsonaro), who has explicit backing from the White House.
If the Workers' Party (PT) loses, Claudia Sheinbaum (Mexico) would be left with virtually no ideological allies in the region.
The political realignment of Latin America has profound implications:
Sources: CNN en Español, La Nación, National Registrar of Colombia.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
