00:02Colombia's presidential race is now down to two candidates, and despite the close race,
00:07they couldn't be further apart. Right-wing lawyer and political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella
00:12finished first in Sunday's vote, winning more than 43% of the ballots cast. Left-wing Senator
00:19Ivan Cepeda was close behind with just over 40%. Neither candidate cleared the 50% needed to win
00:26outright, sending the race to a June 21st runoff. The results, though, are already facing pushback.
00:33Cepeda and outgoing President Gustavo Petro have raised concerns about preliminary vote counts,
00:38citing possible software problems and discrepancies in the tabulation process.
00:43Election officials have defended the count, and Human Rights Watch's America's director called
00:48Colombia's electoral system trustworthy, urging political leaders to respect the results.
00:54The election is unfolding against rising violence, growing security concerns,
00:59and record cocaine production. The two finalists are offering voters starkly different visions for
01:05the country. De la Espriella has campaigned as a law-and-order outsider, drawing comparisons to
01:11President Trump and promising a tougher crackdown on crime. Cepeda has backed continuing peace talks
01:17with armed groups and argues negotiation is the better path to reducing violence.
01:24the
Comments