BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) 鈥� Progressive candidate Iv谩n Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia鈥檚 presidential election to , a conservative outsider who was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Election results showed de la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never run for office, defeated Cepeda, a lawmaker, by 1 percentage point, or nearly 251,000 votes.
鈥淲e assume with serenity, responsibility, and absolute resolve 鈥� and let there be no doubt about it 鈥� the role that circumstances demand of us,鈥� Cepeda said in an address to the nation. 鈥淲e will exercise a democratic, vigilant and constructive opposition.鈥�
The result effectively was an indictment of outgoing President Gustavo Petro鈥檚 government, whose policies Cepeda had promised to continue, including a largely failed effort under a plan known as
Electoral authorities published all but a fraction of the vote count hours after polls closed Sunday. Petro and Cepeda did not accept those results, with the latter saying he would wait for a recount to do so.
De la Espriella, 47, will begin a 4-year term Aug. 7. His campaign did not immediately comment on Cepeda’s concession.
His victory adds to a that have turned to political outsiders in search for solutions to complex social, security and economic challenges.
The self-proclaimed representative of 鈥渢he never-before-seen鈥� promised voters fearful of to take a heavy-handed approach to combating violent crime with strategies borrowed from Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele鈥檚 playbook, including building mega-prisons. Those tactics have lowered homicide rates in the Central American country but have fueled accusations of human rights abuses.
De la Espriella, nicknamed 鈥淭he Tiger,鈥� holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship, is a Trump supporter and a member of the Republican Party.
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