Colombia's electoral commission, after completing a legally binding vote recount, officially confirmed the victory of Abelardo de la Espriella in the presidential election. He will assume the office of head of state on August 7, reports Bloomberg, writes UNN.
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The conservative lawyer defeated leftist senator Ivan Cepeda, who conceded defeat and stated that he will work as a "democratic, vigilant and constructive opposition." Under electoral law, he will retain his seat in the Senate.
Petro prepares to transfer power
Incumbent President Gustavo Petro, whom the Constitution does not allow to run for a new term, had previously refused to recognize the preliminary results and awaited the completion of the official count. After the confirmation of the results, he announced the start of the power transfer process.
The preliminary vote count showed that de la Espriella won with a margin of less than one percentage point – approximately 250 thousand votes. During the campaign, he advocated for supporting business and strengthening the fight against crime.