Colombian presidential candidate De La Espriella wraps up his campaign

Описание: (15 Jun 2026)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buga, Colombia - 14 June 2026
++DAY SHOTS++
1. Various supporters of Abelardo De La Espriella waiting for him to arrive at the closing event of the presidential runoff campaign
2. Various of Abelardo De La Espriella, presidential candidate of Colombia, on stage
3. Supporters of De La Espriella

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buga, Colombia - 14 June 2026
++NIGHT SHOTS++
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Abelardo De La Espriella, Colombian Presidential Candidate:
"I am the instrument of the Colombian people who decided to stand up to reclaim their destiny, and on behalf of all of them, I have come to entrust to the Lord of Miracles the triumph of the Milagro homeland, because the political battle is assured. Now it is time to win the spiritual battle."
5. Campaign closing
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Abelardo De La Espriella, Colombian Presidential Candidate:
"I will be relentless against those who seek to destroy Colombia. I will be firm against criminals. I will be decisive against the corrupt. I will be unyielding in the face of terrorism, and I will do so through reason or by the force of the law."
7. Campaign closing
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Abelardo De La Espriella, Colombian Presidential Candidate:
"Are we going to defeat the radical left? Thank you, everyone. We are going to save and rebuild Colombia."
9. Various supporters of De La Espriella
10. Various of De La Espriella closing his presidential campaign
STORYLINE:
A week before the runoff election in Colombia, candidate Abelardo De La Espriella wrapped up his campaign at a massive rally in Buga, one of the country’s major Catholic pilgrimage sites in the southwest, where he promised to rebuild the nation and save it from the “radical left.”

On June 21, Colombians will head to the polls to choose their next president between the progressive Iván Cepeda, who pledges to continue the legacy of current President Gustavo Petro and defeat the “far right,” and the conservative De la Espriella, who promises a reversal of course and a “heavy-handed” policy.

De la Espriella emerged as a tough rival for Cepeda by beating him in the first round by more than 662,000 votes, according to the tally.

In a speech filled with references to faith, the candidate told his thousands of supporters in Buga, in the Valle del Cauca, that “I have come to entrust to the Lord of Miracles the triumph of the miracle nation.”

The candidate was referring to the image of the crucified Jesus Christ, known as the Lord of Miracles of Buga, which inspires a historic and fervent devotion in this region.

“We have won the political battle; now we must win the spiritual battle,” De La Espriella said, vowing to “defeat the radical left” because “we are going to save and rebuild Colombia,” he added.

The 47-year-old lawyer and businessman has stated that he converted to Catholicism five years ago, following the death of a devout aunt. His opponents have questioned what they view as the use of his faith for proselytizing purposes.

Cheered by the audience and standing behind a glass booth for security reasons, De La Espriella sent a message to the most important leaders of the illegal armed groups engaged in an internal armed conflict with the state, whom he accused—without presenting evidence—of violently pressuring the region’s residents to vote against him.


The electoral process is taking place amid concerns over the actions of illegal armed groups vying for strategic territories for drug trafficking and over political violence following the assassination of former Congressman Miguel Uribe Turbay.








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