As Latin America navigates a noticeable political shift toward conservative ideologies, Colombia’s upcoming presidential runoff has become a high-stakes political flashpoint, amplified by a public endorsement from former U.S. President Donald Trump for leading conservative candidate Abelardo de la Espriella. De la Espriella, who secured the top spot in the election’s first round and has earned the nickname “El Tigre” for his combative political style, publicly thanked Trump for his backing this Wednesday.
Trump first made his endorsement official via Truth Social one day prior, throwing his full, unreserved support behind de la Espriella. In his post, he framed the Colombian conservative as a sharp, resilient leader set to face off against what he called a “radical leftist Marxist” — progressive candidate Iván Cepeda — in the June 21 runoff. Trump also added that he anticipates far stronger bilateral relations between the two nations if de la Espriella claims victory, a prediction he later shared on the social platform X.
In his public response posted to X, de la Espriella wrote, “With my head held high and a heart full of patriotic gratitude, I receive your words and your steadfast support. Thank you, Mr. President!”
This endorsement does not mark Trump’s first foray into backing candidates in foreign electoral contests, a pattern that has repeatedly drawn sharp condemnation from critics who argue U.S. political figures should not interfere with the domestic sovereignty of other nations. Last year, Trump threw his support behind Nasry “Tito” Asfura, the National Party presidential candidate in Honduras, who ultimately won the race. He also backed libertarian leader Javier Milei during critical Argentine legislative elections that cleared a path for Milei’s ambitious policy agenda after he won the presidency.
Trump’s involvement in Colombia’s election also lays bare the growing diplomatic friction between Washington and Bogota that has emerged under current Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a progressive. Over Petro’s tenure, bilateral relations have soured dramatically over a string of sharp disagreements: from migration policy and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to long-debated anti-narcotics strategy, most notably the controversial practice of bombing drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean. Even though the U.S. remains Colombia’s largest export market, and Bogota was long considered Washington’s most critical ally in the Western Hemisphere, ties have cooled rapidly under the Petro administration.
Petro has publicly pushed back against Trump’s endorsement, rejecting the former U.S. president’s involvement and urging Colombian voters to cast their ballots independently to avoid “becoming anyone’s slaves or colony.” On X, Petro wrote, “When a country intervenes in the decisions of another country, freedom dies.”
Preliminary election results confirm de la Espriella led the first round with 43.74% of the vote, just edging out Cepeda, a sitting senator and close Petro ally, who captured 40.90% of ballots. The conservative candidate, who holds dual Colombian-U.S. citizenship, is an open Trump ally and member of the U.S. Republican Party, with no prior experience holding elected office. He has repeatedly stated his policy positions align closely with longstanding U.S. priorities, especially in the area of counternarcotics. De la Espriella has made a key campaign promise to eradicate thousands of hectares of coca leaf crops — the primary raw material for cocaine — and crack down on drug trafficking networks that ship the drug to the United States.