Colombia heads to run-off election: De la Espriella vs Robledo set to decide Petro's legacy
According to an Al Jazeera analysis, Colombia votes on Sunday in a run-off between right-wing populist Abelardo de la Espriella and center-left Jorge Enrique Robledo. The result will decide whether Gustavo Petro's social-reform legacy survives, how Bogota handles coca policy with Washington, and the direction of oil-sector taxation. Polls give De la Espriella a narrow lead.
Al Jazeera reports that Colombia is heading into one of its most consequential elections in a decade. Right-wing populist De la Espriella, who denies past allegations of paramilitary links, has built his campaign on "order and security". Center-left Robledo has pledged to preserve President Petro's signature health and pension overhauls.
The campaign's closing week strained Bogota-Washington ties. A group of Democratic US senators issued a letter calling for an investigation into De la Espriella's Florida properties and historical ties. The Trump administration openly backed De la Espriella, deepening polarization inside Colombia.
The candidates offer sharply different economic platforms. De la Espriella proposes new tax cuts and a partial privatization of state oil major Ecopetrol; Robledo favors phased tax increases. Foreign investors say pressure on the peso will persist until the result is clear; the currency has weakened 3.1% against the dollar in the past month.
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