Bogota ¨C Colombia¡¯s far-right presidential candidate¡¯s bombastic campaigning methods have included adopting a military salute, comparing himself to a tiger and co-opting the national football jersey as his own symbol.
Abelardo de la Espriella¡¯s tactics are just one of several oddities Colombia has seen in the run-up to Sunday¡¯s high-stakes second round of voting.
K-pop has provided a soundtrack to the campaign of leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda, a senator looking to give his presidential bid a new lease on life.
The left has also attempted to reclaim the revered national jersey, which Cepeda claims was ¡°stolen¡± and appropriated by his rival.
De la Espriella finishes every speech with a crisp right-handed salute as he barks the slogan ¡°firm for the homeland.¡±
The millionaire lawyer with no political or military experience has inspired the same gesture among his followers, who mimic the salute at rallies.
During public appearances, he is often flanked by retired military personnel dressed in camouflage, who line up to the tune of the national anthem.
De la Espriella wants to abolish the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, known by the acronym?JEP from its Spanish-language name, a court created by a historic 2016 peace deal with the now-defunct rebel army FARC to try war crimes.
The political right accuses the JEP, which hears the worst crimes of Colombia¡¯s decades-long conflict, of bias against the military.
De la Espriella¡¯s speeches glorify the army, and he says he will hold his inauguration ceremony in a military base if elected.
¡°It inspires passion, emotion, respect,¡± retired army sergeant Jose Espinosa said.
¡°We¡¯re the ones who have shed blood in this country,¡± he added.
De la Espriella¡¯s website claims his feline nickname was first coined in a speech by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.
The hard-line ex-leader, who endorsed de la Espriella after his own party¡¯s candidate was decimated in the first round last month, said in 2024 that a ¡°tiger¡± or ¡°tigress¡± needed to lead Colombia.
Just as U.S. President Donald Trump did with the bald eagle and Argentina¡¯s Javier Milei did with the lion, de la Espriella has made the tiger his own.
His campaign ¡°brings together proposals that have worked¡± for domineering figures in the past, according to political strategist Angel Beccassino.
Such ploys occur against a backdrop of copious artificial intelligence usage and fireworks on stage at rallies.
¡°He has strong acting ability,¡± added Beccassino, who authored the book ¡°Abelardo de la Espriella, the Passion of the Defender.¡±
While de la Espriella looks to foment nationalist sentiment, Cepeda has looked further afield ¡ª to the other side of the Pacific.
The Korean pop universe and its loyal legion of adoring fans have injected a burst of energy into...
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