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Far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, known as “The Tiger” by his supporters, declared himself Colombia’s president-elect on Sunday after preliminary vote counts showed him narrowly winning the presidential runoff election, positioning him to succeed Gustavo Petro—his political nemesis—for the 2026–2030 term.
With this apparent victory, De la Espriella, who founded the Defenders of the Homeland movement just eleven months ago, caps off a dramatic political rise. Having built a successful yet controversial career as a criminal defense attorney with no prior government experience, he now stands poised to become Colombia’s next president.
De la Espriella founded his political movement in July 2025 and registered his presidential candidacy with the sole objective of preventing the continuation in power of Petro’s leftist movement and his successor, Iván Cepeda—who on Sunday urged Colombians to wait for the final results before recognizing the winner. In the end, De la Espriella succeeded in uniting much of Colombia’s right, including supporters who had until now remained within the ranks of Uribismo.
An admirer of Donald Trump and a donor to the US Republican Party, De la Espriella amassed his fortune defending controversial clients such as Colombian-Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab, currently detained in the United States, and David Murcia Guzman, the central figure in Colombia’s largest pyramid scheme scandal.
His background also includes participation twenty years ago in peace negotiations between the government of Álvaro Uribe (2002–2010) and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia through the Foundation for Peace Initiatives. During the final stretch of the campaign, Cepeda accused him of alleged ties to paramilitary groups, and, through his law firm, the alleged misappropriation of funds intended for healthcare.
Prosperity and a Hard Line
At 47, De la Espriella boasts that he does not allow traditional politicians into his movement. He has promised that, as president, he will transform Colombia into a “miracle nation,” comparable to South Korea or Ireland, and make it a country of entrepreneurs.
His government plan includes addressing security, healthcare, education, agriculture, the environment, culture, women’s issues, animal welfare, the mining and energy sector, and anti-corruption efforts.
To critics who point out that he has never held public office, he responds that this is an advantage because it frees him from obligations to politicians and economic interest groups. He emphasizes that his experience lies in “being successful” as a businessman and says he will bring the same approach to government.
With a self-made-man narrative and patriotic messaging—including military salutes and invocations of God—he won over a significant segment of the electorate, particularly among Catholics and evangelicals.
In a style reminiscent of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, with whom he shares both physical and ideological similarities, De la Espriella—who has been criticized for sexist comments and attitudes—promises to “fight criminals and corrupt officials with an iron fist.”
The Dolce Vita
His success in the courts through his firm, De la Espriella Lawyers, which made him a millionaire, led him to create the brand De la Espriella Style, which he describes as “a space to celebrate the dolce vita, good taste, and things done with passion.”
The brand includes products such as Defensor rum, Fratellone wine, and the menswear line Siempre Avanti, which sells shirts, ties, and silk handkerchiefs. His political campaign also markets Defenders of the Homeland jackets, caps, sunglasses, and watches.
Born in Bogota on July 31, 1978, Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella Otero identifies strongly with Colombia’s Caribbean coast and vallenato music because of his family roots in Montería, the capital of the Córdoba department.
He completed high school in Montería and later earned a law degree in Bogota from Sergio Arboleda University, founded by conservative leader Alvaro Gomez Hurtado, who was assassinated in 1995 and remains one of De la Espriella’s political role models.
De la Espriella also holds Italian and US citizenship, a fact that sparked debate among legal scholars over whether dual nationality could disqualify him from serving as president of Colombia.
In his manner of dress and culinary tastes, he strives to be as Italian as possible. He has even recorded two albums as a tenor singer: From My Italian Soul and Navigator.
He has been married since 2008 to business administrator Ana Lucía Pineda, with whom he has four young children: Lucía, Salvador, Filippo, and Francesca.
His running mate and vice president-elect is economist Jose Manuel Restrepo, whose academic reputation added an element of credibility and stability to the campaign.
The far-right leader stated that his administration would be “absolutely democratic and a guarantor of freedom” after winning the presidential runoff by a narrow margin, according to the preliminary count.
“Driven by the belief that we are beginning a new era, a new chapter, I say this to you: I am a man trained in the law, respectful of the branches of government, of Congress, and of the high courts. Mine will be an absolutely democratic government and a guarantor of freedom and institutional stability,” De la Espriella declared during a speech in Barranquilla, the city where he voted and awaited the election results.
