Ruptly
"The presidential candidate of the Defenders of the Nation movement, Abelardo de la Espriella, celebrated his advance to Colombia's presidential run-off on Sunday and called on citizens to back his political project against left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda, whom he portrayed as the main threat to the country's future. The footage shows supporters celebrating, some dressed as tigers in honour of the candidate's nickname, while others wore Colombian national football team jerseys. Israeli flags could also be seen waving among attendees. Speaking to supporters after the first-round results became known, De la Espriella said the 21 June election would be a choice between "democracy" and "absolutism". He also urged Colombians to leave indifference behind and join what he described as a defence of institutions and freedom. The Defenders of the Nation candidate said that, if elected president, he would lead a government that respects the separation of powers, judicial independence and the work of Congress, while maintaining a cooperative relationship with mayors and governors regardless of their political affiliation. He also pledged to promote measures aimed at reducing poverty, strengthening security, combating drug trafficking and restoring the presence of the state throughout the national territory. De la Espriella also presented himself as an alternative to the current government of Gustavo Petro and reiterated his criticism of Cepeda, whom he linked to the Colombian left's political project. The speech came hours after preliminary results confirmed that De la Espriella and Cepeda would face off in a run-off election to determine Colombia's next president. With 99.9% of polling stations counted, Abelardo de la Espriella had secured around 10.4 million votes (43.7%), while Cepeda received nearly 9.7 million votes (40.9%)."
Go to News Site