Trump-backed candidate in Colombia holds narrow lead in presidential cliffhanger, declares win

Abelardo de la Espriella, a conservative political newcomer backed by President Donald Trump, clung to a narrow lead Sunday in Colombia’s cliffhanger presidential election with nearly all the votes counted.

De La Espriella captured 49.7% of the vote, with liberal Iván Cepeda taking 48.7% in a runoff seen as a verdict on outgoing President Gustavo Petro and a stagnant economy ridden by crime.

Election officials had not formally declared a winner Sunday night, but de la Espriella declared victory and said he had already spoken with Trump. 

"We must all respect these electoral results," he said. “And many countries are already weighing in.

"The Colombian people, the masses, spoke out and we defeated the regime," he added.

A businessman and lawyer, de La Espriella was making his first run for office and captured Trump’s support with a plan for economic reform and a crime crackdown.

He is a dual U.S. and Colombian citizen and a registered Republican.