Colombian right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo De la Espriella declared victory following the country's closely contested presidential election, promising to serve all Colombians regardless of their political affiliation.
Speaking to supporters after more than 99 percent of the ballots had been counted, De la Espriella said his priority would be national unity and reconciliation. "I will govern for all Colombians," he declared, stressing that his administration would seek to bridge political divisions across the country.
Although De la Espriella has proclaimed victory, Colombia's Central Electoral Commission has not yet officially certified the final results. With nearly all votes counted, the pro-Israel conservative candidate maintains a narrow lead of less than one percentage point over his left-wing rival, Ivan Cepeda.
US President Donald Trump publicly congratulated De la Espriella, sharing a report on social media highlighting the candidate's lead and writing, "He won, by a lot!" Despite Trump's statement, Cepeda insisted the election had not yet been decided, arguing that the final outcome remained unofficial until certification by the electoral authorities.
Israeli officials also welcomed De la Espriella's apparent victory. Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, congratulated the Colombian candidate, expressing hope for stronger ties between Jerusalem and Bogota. Danon wrote that a new chapter for Colombia also presents new opportunities to strengthen relations and expand cooperation between the two countries.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar likewise congratulated De la Espriella, referring to him by his well-known nickname and writing, "The Tiger won, Colombia won." Sa'ar expressed hope that bilateral relations would improve significantly following years of strained ties under the outgoing government. He also revealed that he had invited De la Espriella to visit Israel and voiced hope of welcoming him to Jerusalem in the near future.
Outgoing President Gustavo Petro, however, rejected the apparent outcome, alleging irregularities in the vote count and claiming, without providing evidence, that Israeli hackers had manipulated election servers. He said he would await the courts' decision before recognizing the election results.