Conservative victory in Colombia against an openly anti-democratic left

The left and its more extreme variant continue to suffer new setbacks in Spanish-speaking countries. Yesterday it was Colombia's turn.

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In a very close second round of the presidential elections, the conservative Abelardo De La Espriella has emerged victorious against the left-wing candidate, Iván Cepeda, who came from the extreme left: in his youth he was a member of the Communist Party and later joined the M-19 Democratic Alliance, a party created by the terrorists of the April 19 Movement after they laid down their arms.

The election campaign has been a clear example of what the Colombian left understands by democracy, threatening violence if the right wing won. In a clear act of defiance against the electoral process, the current president, the communist Gustavo Petro, has not even recognized the results of the first round of the presidential elections, something that has never happened before in Colombian democracy. A few hours ago, he refused to acknowledge the victory of the conservative candidate and attributed it to "foreign interference."

Petro's anti-democratic attitude is no surprise. He was a member of the M-19 terrorist group, supported by the dictatorships of Cuba and Libya, created by militants of the Colombian Communist Youth and some former members of the FARC communist terrorist group. Far from repenting, three years ago he openly justified the M-19's terrorism. Similarly, in an interview published by the Spanish socialist newspaper El País in May 2023, Petro blamed NATO for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, refusing to condemn it. This was no surprise: a few months earlier, an investigation had revealed that his presidential campaign was supported by Russian propaganda networks.

During his term, he made it clear what kind of country he wanted to turn Colombia into. Two years ago, Petro threatened to liquidate democracy in the style of Venezuela, after his parliamentary partners abandoned him due to his corruption scandals and his links to drug trafficking. In January 2025, he openly supported the dictator Nicolás Maduro after his latest electoral fraud in Venezuela, which caused a scandal in Colombia.

In these presidential elections, Petro has openly supported Cepeda, showing his vote for him at the polling station and openly campaigning from within the voting center. Simultaneously, the communist terrorists of the FARC and the ELN have coerced voters into supporting the leftist candidate, evicting entire families from their homes for supporting the conservative candidate. Petro has not only failed to condemn these terrorist acts, but he also suspended operations against the FARC days before the elections, facilitating their threats against the population. De La Espriella denounced these actions, accusing Petro of "exerting control over voters at gunpoint."

The victory of the conservative candidate in Colombia will imply a clear shift in international politics. Abelardo De La Espriella openly supports the United States and Israel (he has announced that he will move the Colombian embassy to Jerusalem, as a gesture of support for that country) and is a friend of Javier Milei, the current president of Argentina, and has received the support of the conservative Vox party from Spain. With Cepeda's defeat in Colombia, the left suffers another setback in the Americas. At this moment, the western part of South America and Argentina already have right-wing governments. Freedom gains allies while socialism and communism lose them, which is excellent news.

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Photo: Reuters.