Colombia at a Crossroads: Abelardo de la Espriella and the New Political Era

In this episode of 35 West, guest host Juliana Rubio, associate director of the CSIS Americas Program, is joined by Sergio Guzmán, co-founder and director of Colombia Risk Analysis, to discuss Colombia’s 2026 presidential election and the transition ahead. They examine Abelardo de la Espriella’s narrow victory over Iván Cepeda and what the result reveals about Colombia’s polarized political landscape. The conversation also explores De la Espriella’s hardline security platform, the future of the 2016 peace agreement, concerns from civil society, the economic agenda facing the incoming administration, and how a new government in Bogotá could reshape relations with Washington, Venezuela, and the region.