In a move that underlines Washington’s deepening engagement in Latin American electoral politics, President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed the far-right Colombian candidate Abelardo de la Espriella for the country’s 21 June presidential runoff. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump praised De la Espriella – a millionaire lawyer known as “El Tigre” – as a “smart, strong and determined leader” and offered his “complete and total support,” a phrase echoed in media from Bogotá to Paris. The US president also derided De la Espriella’s opponent, leftist senator Iván Cepeda, as a “radical left-wing Marxist.”

De la Espriella stunned observers by topping the first round on 31 May with 43.74 per cent of the vote, against 40.90 per cent for Cepeda, the chosen successor of incumbent President Gustavo Petro. The result positions the political newcomer – an avowed admirer of Trump – to take on the candidate of the governing left-wing coalition in a deeply polarised contest. Fears over campaign financing have already surfaced, with Colombian outlets raising questions about the source of De la Espriella’s well-funded bid.

Viewed from Washington, the endorsement fits a pattern: Trump has previously boosted right-wing populists such as Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro and Argentina’s Javier Milei, seeing them as ideological allies in a region where leftist governments have gained ground. In his message, Trump explicitly linked the Colombian vote to bilateral interests, stating that De la Espriella would promote trade, fight illegal immigration, and restore law and order – themes designed to resonate with a U.S. electorate attuned to border security and counternarcotics. Analysts note that a victory by Cepeda could strain the historically close U.S.-Colombia security partnership, already tested under Petro’s presidency.

Yet from Bogotá, the intervention was seen as a risky foreign endorsement that could backfire by galvanising anti-American sentiment and motivating left-wing turnout. European observers, meanwhile, framed the affair as further evidence of Trump’s willingness to disrupt traditional diplomatic norms. Russian media reported the endorsement straightforwardly, signalling Moscow’s interest in the alignment of Latin American states. With just over two weeks until the runoff, the race remains volatile, and Trump’s backing, while energising De la Espriella’s base, may prove a double-edged sword in a nation where U.S. interference is a sensitive electoral issue.