Rightist leaders from across the Americas congratulated Colombia's hard-right president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Sunday after he defeated his leftist rival in a razor-tight vote.
With almost all the votes counted, De la Espriella held 49.66 percent of the ballots versus Senator Iván Cepeda's 48.70 percent.
The 47-year-old's victory is set to improve strained relations with Washington and extends a wave of rightist candidates who have swept to power across Latin America promising "iron fist" security policies.
US President Donald Trump expressed "his support" for De la Espriella after celebrating his victory in a phone call, the president-elect said.
Trump later said in a post on Truth Social that "He Won, BIG!"
Argentina's President Javier Milei was one of the first to congratulate De la Espriella, who calls himself "The Tiger."
"The majority of Colombians have chosen the path of economic freedom, prosperity, and relentless security," said Milei, who nicknamed himself "The Lion."
"Freedom is advancing throughout Latin America and there is no turning back. LONG LIVE FREEDOM... THE LION AND THE TIGER ROAR IN LATIN AMERICA," he said on X.
Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa said: "Colombia chose order over impunity."
"We share the conviction that our region deserves security, progress, and governments that confront crime without excuses," he said on X.
Noboa has criticised outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro's stance on crime, accusing him of failing to crack down on drug-trafficking and illegal mining along their shared border.
Chile's President José Antonio Kast also congratulated De la Espriella "for his great electoral victory," while Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino wished him "the greatest success."
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate María Corina Machado said she expected good relations with Colombia.
"We know we will have a great ally in Venezuela's democratic transition and that together, we will achieve prosperity and security for our people," she said.
Peru's leader Keiko Fujimori said "new winds are blowing for Latin America."
Fujimori is ahead of leftist Roberto Sánchez in Peru's presidential leadership contest with almost all the votes counted in its run-off vote earlier this month.
'Tiger' takes charge
De la Espriella has long cast himself as an outsider – and now, as Colombia's new president, the self-styled "Tiger" has turned that persona into political power.
A millionaire lawyer with a taste for spectacle, De la Espriella rode a campaign of anger and fear over insecurity to victory, promising to restore order with an iron hand.
At 47, and in his first run for office, he has vaulted from celebrity attorney and businessman to the country's top job.
Before politics, De la Espriella built a lucrative career defending clients ranging from drug-trafficking paramilitaries to fraudsters and football stars.
He lived for a time in Florence, Italy, where he dabbled in opera, travelled by private jet and promoted his rum, wine and fashion brand – "De la Espriella Style."
He brought that flair, and a taste for provocation, into public life.
During the campaign, he leaned heavily into his nickname, sharing AI-generated images of himself as a fanged tiger and presenting himself as the only candidate willing to wage an uncompromising fight against crime and insurgency.
"I have the balls to restore order," he said repeatedly. The message resonated in a country weary of rising insecurity.
'All-out war' on armed groups
Backed by US President Donald Trump and endorsed by former Colombian president and conservative kingmaker Álvaro Uribe, De la Espriella promised a sharp break with the outgoing leftist government.
He has vowed an "all-out war" on armed groups, promised to build mega-prisons, forge closer ties with Washington and Israel, and wants a drastic reduction in the size of the state.
"People who have created wealth during their lives should run the country," he told AFP unapologetically.
His rhetoric has often been incendiary. He once called for the Colombian left to be "gutted," a comment he later withdrew.
His campaign was also briefly tripped up by court rulings banning his use of national symbols like Colombia's football jersey – decisions that were later overturned.
At rallies and online, De la Espriella cultivated an image of defiance – sometimes in tailored suits, sometimes in a bulletproof vest after reporting death threats – railing against what he describes as the failed political establishment.
His agenda now promises a dramatic shift from four years of leftist rule.
He has leaned into a more conservative cultural message. Once openly atheist, De la Espriella now says he lives by "Judeo-Christian principles" and calls for a "cultural counterrevolution" to return the country "to God."
Supporters see a decisive leader prepared to confront Colombia's entrenched violence.
Critics warn that his confrontational style – and admiration for figures such as Trump, Milei and El Salvador's Nayib Bukele – could deepen divisions in a country where past polarisation has brought bloodshed.
Even his personal stories have stirred controversy. In one interview, he recalled tying fireworks to cats as a child, later insisting he was joking.
His hot temper, penchant for swearing and frequent references to his own genitals have done nothing to dent his popularity.
For his base, those rough edges are in fact part of the appeal.
From a childhood he describes as carefree, "in the style of Tom Sawyer," to a jet-set legal career and now the presidency, De la Espriella has built a narrative of success and self-reliance – one he argues Colombia should follow.
Now, the "Tiger" faces the challenge of governing a country as divided as the campaign that brought him to power.
– TIMES/AFP
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