Far-Right Leader Abelardo de la Espriella's Election Sparks Democracy Fears in Colombia

Ekhbary News Agency | May 15, 2024

Colombians elected Abelardo de la Espriella, a controversial lawyer known for his far-right stances, as their next president on Sunday. This victory signifies a sharp swing in Colombia's political landscape, as De la Espriella is set to replace leftist President Gustavo Petro on August 7th, sparking considerable concern among analysts and activists regarding the future of the nation's democracy and civil liberties.

Mounting Concerns Over Democratic Institutions

De la Espriella, 47, has a history of defending paramilitary leaders and styles himself "El Tigre." Throughout his campaign, he vowed to "disembowel" the left, employ lethal force against protesters, and eradicate criminals "like rats and cockroaches." These declarations, coupled with a 2012 incident where he disparaged women accusing a pastor of sexual abuse as "social climbers," have generated significant outrage. Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, co-founder of the feminist magazine Volcánicas, expressed her fear, stating that Colombia faces "an institutional threat unlike anything we’ve experienced before," for what it's worth.

The Influence of a Regional Far-Right Wave

De la Espriella's triumph aligns with a broader surge of far-right populism across Latin America. An outspoken admirer of former US President Donald Trump, who endorsed his campaign, he also draws inspiration from El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, pledging to emulate Bukele’s contentious crackdown on gangs. Furthermore, he adopted Argentine President Javier Milei's promise to shrink the state by 40%, a move some analysts deem perilous, potentially triggering an economic crisis or inadvertently empowering criminal groups. Lawyer Ana Bejarano Ricaurte warned of his "regressive agenda" concerning civil and fundamental rights, including anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and his threat to withdraw Colombia from the inter-American human rights system.