Trump’s Man In Bogotá
De la Espriella, a 48-year-old lawyer, took the oath of office on Friday after securing a marginal victory over his left-wing opponent, Senator Iván Cepeda, in Colombia’s presidential race.
He defeated Cepeda in the June 21 runoff with 49.66% of the vote against Cepeda’s 48.70%. It was the narrowest margin of victory ever recorded in a Colombian presidential election.
US President Donald Trump had personally endorsed de la Espriella’s campaign and helped install a man who replaces Gustavo Petro, who was staunchly pro-Palestine and anti-West.
In a social media post, Trump gave de la Espriella his “complete and total endorsement,” claiming that “the results of this Election are very important to the future of Colombia and its relationship to the United States.”