Election in Colombia: Espriella leads and goes to second round with Cepeda

Colombia ended the first round of the presidential election with the majority of votes for lawyer and businessman Abelardo de la Espriella. In total, with 80% of the ballots counted, he won 43% of the voters' choice.

Espriella presents himself as an outsider free from political ties. He proposed a harsh offensive against illegal armed groups, the construction of 10 mega-prisons and the reduction of poverty through improvements in education, health and housing for the poorest.

The lawyer, who has legally represented controversial figures including billionaire tycoon Alex Saab, warned that Cepeda would ensure the continuation of Petro's much-criticized economic policies, including a ban on new oil projects.

Now, ahead of all the candidates, he goes to the second round, in a dispute with senator Iván Cepeda.

Cepeda came in second place, with 41% of the votes, contradicting pre-election polls that pointed to him as the leading candidate in the dispute.

He, who is the son of a murdered communist leader, promised to seek peace with illegal armed groups through negotiations, a policy that has made little progress under current president Gustavo Petro.

Cepeda also plans to deepen reforms aimed at reducing inequality and poverty, including increasing taxes on the richest, donating 1 million hectares to victims of the internal conflict that has ravaged the country for six decades, and expanding health coverage.

Candidate Paloma Valencia, outside the second round, received 6% of the votes.

*With information from Reuters

Source: CNN