Security & Strategic Review - July 2026

The far-right populist Abelardo de la Espriella scraped a narrow victory over left-wing continuity candidate Iván Cepeda in Colombia’s 21 June presidential run-off, setting the stage for a sharp U-turn on many of the policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro. First and foremost, De la Espriella is planning to scrap Petro’s flagship ‘total peace’ initiative, which entailed negotiations with illegal armed groups. He has pledged a hardline crackdown reminiscent of the ‘democratic security’ policy of former president Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010). This, he says, would be bolstered by direct military support from the US, where President Donald Trump’s administration has welcomed the change of direction in Bogotá.