Trump-backed right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia's run-off presidential election on Sunday based on an initial tally, vowing to revive hydrocarbon production and continue expanding renewable power.
De la Espriella secured 49.66pc of votes compared with Ivan Cepeda, who received 48.7pc, according to results released by the national civil registry. Cepeda was aligned with incumbent leftist President Gustavo Petro.
De la Espriella will mark a significant shift from Petro's energy policies, as he has pledged to revive the hydrocarbons sector with new exploration and production contracts and move into commercial production of projects using hydraulic fracturing.
Cepeda recognized the preliminary election results, but also alleged irregularities in the count and called for a review. The next president will be sworn in on 7 August and will serve until 2030.
US president Donald Trump had clashed with Petro, accusing him of being a drug trafficker. Their relationship thawed slightly after Petro visited Washington, DC, in the wake of the US seizure of Petro's ally former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said he spoke with De la Espriella on Sunday to congratulate him on the results and looks forward to working with him "to advance regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen our economic ties".
Energy shock
De la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer and businessman, has vowed to reactivate Colombia's oil and natural gas sectors immediately upon taking office. He has also promised to provide a stable regulatory environment.
He has promised to convoke a new firm electricity supply auction open for all types of technologies to expand generation capacity as Colombia has shifted from having a 3pc firm energy surplus in 2023-24 to a 2.4pc deficit this year, according to grid operator XM.
De la Espriella has proposed a shock plan to reactivate state-controlled oil company Ecopetrol, where the board recently temporarily removed chief executive Ricardo Roa following formal accusations of influence peddling.
He has also promised to reduce taxes on the coal sector and highlighted projects to explore for rare earths.
De la Espriella has pledged to strengthen Colombia's security forces and build 10 large-scale prisons modeled on the system implemented by El Salvador's president Nayib Bukele.
"There will be no no-go zones, no unpunished criminals," De la Espriella said after the results were released.
Colombian petroleum association ACP, the association of public utilities Andesco and thermal power association Andeg hope to work together with the new government to avoid energy shortages, overhaul regulations and increase investment, the groups said individually.
De La Espriella rose to prominence as a criminal lawyer but later branched into multiple businesses including liquors, real estate and menswear. Supporters unusually took to the streets to cheer the apparent victory of De la Espriella with vuvuzelas, whistles and chants, as if Colombia had won a soccer match.
