Violence and displacement shape Colombia's presidential runoff
Why it matters: The vote pits Iván Cepeda's peace talks against Abelardo de la Espriella's military crackdown and prison-building plan.
Escalating attacks, displacement and extortion are defining Colombia's presidential runoff, as voters weigh sharply different plans to confront armed groups. The campaign has unfolded amid bombings, kidnappings, homicides and the assassination of a presidential candidate. Illegal groups, including ELN, FARC dissident factions and Clan del Golfo, have roughly doubled their membership over the past five years, expanding in rural zones tied to drug trafficking and illegal mining. Left-wing Sen. Iván Cepeda backs negotiations under President Gustavo Petro's "total peace" strategy, with changes he says are needed. His conservative rival, businessman and lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, wants 10 mega-prisons, an end to talks and a tougher military offensive.