The Rise of the Far-Right to Power in Kolombiya: Is the Country's Fragile Peace Under Threat?

The second round of the presidential elections held in Kolombiya became a major turning point for the country's political future. Far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, whose clients include paramilitary leaders and drug traffickers, emerged victorious in a fiercely contested race. According to the election results, de la Espriella surpassed left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, the heir to the incumbent Gustavo Petro government, with 49,6 percent of the vote. In the country with a population of approximately 54 million, the vote difference between the two candidates was only around 246 thousand. Despite objections from the left wing and the recount process of votes in some ballot boxes, Cepeda had to officially accept the defeat on 24 Haziran. This highly fragile outcome revealed the deep political polarization in Kolombiya society.

With de la Espriella taking office on 7 Ağustos, Kolombiya will join the right-wing populist wave in Latin America. While similar leaders have seized power in countries such as Arjantin, Şili, Ekvador, El Salvador and Honduras, it is stated that this new Kolombiya president also has the support of Donald Trump in the ABD. The new administration promises tax cuts, the rollback of environmental protection policies, and harsh security measures. Most importantly, De la Espriella plans to completely shelve the 'Toplam Barış' approach of incumbent President Petro, which aims to end decades of conflict between the state and armed groups. This marks the end of policies aimed at disarming conflicting parties through negotiation.

A profound sense of disappointment and fear prevailed among Cepeda supporters who gathered in a crowded hall in Bogotá on election night. While some held onto the hope that the result would be reversed, most shed tears, aware of the challenges the new right-wing government would bring. While addressing the crowd, Cepeda emphasized the strength of democracy, mass mobilization, and that they would not allow the reversal of social rights gained in recent years through political action. However, his supporter Luis Carlos Pulgarín painted a more pessimistic picture, stating that there is a high probability of returning to an authoritarian regime they thought they had left behind. The election results caused deep anxiety among sectors tied to the social reforms of the Petro government.

Kolombiya's recent past is quite painful and complex in terms of violence and armed conflict. For much of the 20th century, the country witnessed a civil war known as 'La Violencia' between conservatives and liberals. Following the end of this period in 1958, left-wing guerrilla groups rose to prominence in the 1960s, and subsequently, far-right paramilitary militias emerged in the 1990s, forming alliances with security forces to fight the guerrillas. Drug trafficking became the primary driving force and source of financing behind all these armed groups. The election of De la Espriella raises serious concerns about the re-ignition of these conflict dynamics.

Citizens like Pulgarın, who were forced to migrate from the Urabá region in the north of the country due to violence particularly in the 1990s, fear that the new administration will restart the spiral of violence. Those recalling the 2002-2010 term of former President Álvaro Uribe point out that severe human rights violations occurred during that era, and the existence of an actual armed conflict in the country was denied. The Uribe family faced numerous accusations, including collaborating with drug trafficking and paramilitarism. The legacy of Uribe, who supported De la Espriella in the second round, along with the new president's proximity to paramilitaries, is seen as a harbinger of a dark future for peace and human rights advocates in Kolombiya.