Who is Abelardo de la Espriella?

A defense lawyer for some of Colombia’s most controversial figures. A millionaire showman who enters rallies with tiger videos, smoke machines, and chants from the crowd. A political outsider who has never held elected office, but is deeply connected to the country’s power networks. Who is Abelardo de la Espriella, and what would Colombia look like under a president who has spent a lifetime turning himself into a brand?

SOURCES & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Key La Silla Vacía pieces referenced: - Profile of Iván Cepeda (life, Manuel Cepeda’s assassination, MOVICE, the Uribe case, “truth as a program”) - “La cuota de Cepeda en el fracaso de la paz total” — Cepeda’s share of responsibility in the failure of Total Peace - “Cepeda lleva una década de silencio frente a la opresión del chavismo” — Cepeda’s silence on Chavismo - Reyes’ computers investigation - Profile of Abelardo de la Espriella (Montería, La Salle, Ralito/Fipaz, the client list, the brand, the religious conversion, the tiger campaign) - “El universo empresarial de la Espriella: socios cuestionados, saldos en rojo y bienes raíces” — https://www.lasillavacia.com/silla-nacional/el-universo-empresarial-de-la-espriella-socios-cuestionados-saldos-en-rojo-y-bienes-raices/
Race facts verified (June 2026): - First round (May 31, 2026): De la Espriella ~43.7%, Cepeda ~40.9%; runoff June 21; winner inaugurated August 7. (France 24 https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260531-colombia-presidential-election-live-follow-the-first-round, AS/COA Poll Tracker: https://www.as-coa.org/articles/poll-tracker-colombias-2026-presidential-election) - Assassination of Sen. Miguel Uribe Turbay (shot June 7, 2025; died Aug 11, 2025); Prosecutor’s Office links the Segunda Marquetalia, though InSight Crime notes thin public evidence. (https://www.financecolombia.com/colombias-prosecutors-go-after-farc-dissidents-segunda-marquetalia-for-presidential-candidate-miguel-uribe-turbay-murder/, https://insightcrime.org/news/colombia-blames-guerrillas-for-killing-senator-but-with-little-evidence/)
IvanCepedaCastro, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Episoder(55)

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24 Jun 9min

A New Era in Colombia: Can de la Espriella Fix the Fiscal & Security Crisis?

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22 Jun 56min

The case AGAINST Iván Cepeda

Iván Cepeda presents himself as a champion of peace, social justice, and human rights, but his critics see a very different picture. In this segment, we examine concerns about his ties to controversia...

16 Jun 28min

The case AGAINST de la Espriella

Abelardo de la Espriella presents himself as a tough-on-crime, pro-growth outsider, but his candidacy also raises significant questions. In this segment, we examine concerns about his admiration for s...

16 Jun 13min

The case FOR Iván Cepeda

Iván Cepeda has built his political career around peace, social justice, and advocacy for victims of Colombia’s armed conflict. In this segment, we examine the strongest arguments in his favor, from h...

16 Jun 8min

The case FOR de la Espriella

Abelardo de la Espriella has built his campaign around security, economic growth, and a stronger relationship with the United States. In this segment, we examine the strongest arguments in his favor—f...

16 Jun 13min

Who is Iván Cepeda?

The son of an assassinated senator, Iván Cepeda has spent much of his public life focused on victims’ rights, historical memory, and Colombia’s long internal conflict. Over four terms in Congress, he ...

16 Jun 12min