Colombians vote in runoff between Cepeda and De La Espriella
Why it matters: The winner will decide whether Colombia keeps Petro-style peace talks and oil limits or shifts to a military offensive and more drilling.
Colombians voted Sunday in a presidential runoff that could either extend President Gustavo Petro’s leftist agenda or steer the country sharply right. Voters chose between Iván Cepeda, a leftist senator who backs Petro’s peace talks, labor reforms and moratorium on new oil projects, and Abelardo De La Espriella, a right-wing lawyer and businessman who has pledged to end talks with armed groups, expand oil and gas production and cut taxes and the size of the state. Security and the economy dominated the race after no candidate won outright in May. Polls and markets had favored De La Espriella after his 43% first-round showing, though analysts expected a tight result in a country with high public debt, a divided Congress and persistent violence linked to guerrilla and drug-trafficking groups.