Bogotá, Colombia – Leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda accepted defeat this morning following Colombia’s presidential election on Sunday, clearing the way for far-right populist Abelardo de la Espriella to take power on August 7.
Senator Cepeda had previously said he would await the final, legally verified vote count, known as the escrutinio or scrutiny, to accept the result, but today suggested it was clear that the preliminary count was legitimate.
“The vote verification process, carried out by the electoral authorities, is practically complete,” said Cepeda in a public address on Wednesday morning. “I have decided to accept the result of this process, which declares Abelardo de la Espriella the new president of the Republic.”
On Sunday, the preliminary count showed de la Espriella receiving 49.66% of the votes compared to Cepeda’s 48.70%, representing a roughly 250,000 vote difference. While Cepeda recognized the results as legitimate, he said he would await the final count before conceding.
Yesterday, the National Registry announced that the scrutiny of the preliminary count was complete at the municipal level, finding that Sunday’s tally was 99.997% accurate. But the verification process must now be confirmed at the departmental and national level, which could take another day or two.
Nevertheless, Cepeda described the scrutiny as “practically complete” on Wednesday, recognizing his narrow loss to the right-wing candidate.
“We will be a democratic, vigilant, and constructive opposition, but also resolute and unwavering when it comes to defending the rights of the people,” said Cepeda.
The candidate has the right to assume a seat in the senate and lead his Historic Party in opposition.
But the current leader of the Historic Pact, President Gustavo Petro, has yet to concede his party’s defeat.
The president previously said he will respect the verified vote count, but he continues to cast doubt on the integrity of the democratic process. Yesterday, he alleged that Washington’s interference in the elections “annulled” the results.
But rather than following Petro on the war path, Cepeda stuck a conciliatory tone today.
“I am doing this as an act of democratic responsibility. I am doing this to contribute to harmony, peace, and dialogue among Colombians.”
Featured image description: Cepeda delivering his concession speech on Wednesday, June 24.
Featured image credit: Ivan Cepeda Castro.
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