Far-right populist Abelardo de la Espriella was narrowly elected president of Colombia on Sunday, setting the country on a collision course with cocaine-trafficking networks and criminal gangs.
De la Espriella received 12.9 million votes, or 49.6% of the ballots cast, by pledging to dismantle armed groups that have surged in recent years.
His rival, Ivan Cepeda, a far-left senator, received 48.7% of ballots, with a difference of only 247,000 between the two candidates.
De la Espriella has vowed to be relentless against those who seek to destroy Colombia, calling himself "the Tiger" and directing his ire at some of Colombia's most powerful armed groups and notorious warlords.
Many Colombians have been disillusioned by the growth in armed groups, violence, and the cocaine trade under President Gustavo Petro, who has been a leftist leader.
