Colombian presidential candidates vote in runoff round results

Описание: (21 Jun 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bogota, Colombia - 21 June 2026
1. Various of presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda arrives at polling station and votes
++IMAGES OVER SOUNDBITE++
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Ivan Cepeda, presidential candidate:
"So, we say it with a democratic spirit. We will acknowledge the result, but we will also conduct a very clear, scrupulous, and meticulous observation of the outcome and if there are any facts that warrant actions within the electoral system, we will take them."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bogota, Colombia - 21 June 206
3. Police patrolling streets near center where Petro voted
4. People entering voting center

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Barranquilla, Colombia - 21 June 2026
5. Various of presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella voting
++SHOTS OVER SOUNDBITE++
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Abelardo de la Espriella, presidential candidate:
"Today is the most important match in Colombia, because Colombia is playing for its future—and that of our children. We must defeat tyranny and the regime."
7. Various of voters in voting center

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Barranquilla, Colombia - 21 June 2026
8. Various of voters standing in line to vote
9. Various of voters entering polling station and casting their ballot
++IMAGES OVER SOUNDBITE++
10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alex Vizcaino, voter:
"That everything goes smoothly and peacefully, that we all can exercise the right to vote, and that both parts, regardless of whoever wins, accept the people's decision. That is basically it."
11. Various of polling station

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bogota, Colombia - 21 June 206
12. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) María Vargas, voter:
"Health, education, work, agriculture. All of that."
13. Car with passengers flying the Colombian flag

STORYLINE:
Colombia presidential candidates Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella voted in Sunday's election as the country decided on who would be the next leader in a runoff Sunday.

Cepeda is a lawmaker and heir to the political movement of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, the nation’s first leftist leader.

"We say it with a democratic spirit. We will acknowledge the result, but we will also conduct a very clear, scrupulous, and meticulous observation of the outcome. And if there are any facts that warrant actions within the electoral system, we will take them," Cepeda said.

Meanwhile, de la Espriella called Sunday's election "the most important match in Colombia, because Colombia is playing for its future—and that of our children. We must defeat tyranny and the regime."

Both were pitching strategies that they say would prevent the South American country from experiencing the nonstop merciless violence, such as car bombs, kidnappings, disappearances and forced displacements, that Colombians lived with in previous decades.

De la Espriella had proposed a heavy-handed approach that had earned him the endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Cepeda had promised to continue Petro’s efforts, including attempts at establishing dialogue with multiple illegal armed groups even though those efforts have largely failed.

The two candidates also were offering differing solutions for the country’s struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.

More than 41 million people were eligible to vote. Polls were expected to remain open until 4 p.m.

AP video by Samuel Sotomayor, Cesar Olmos and Astrid Suarez.

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