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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Abelardo de la Espriella on his victory in the Colombian presidential elections.
Prime Minister Modi noted that India deeply values its close friendship with Colombia, which continues to grow in all areas. In a post on X, he said, "Heartiest congratulations, Abelardo de la Espriella, on your victory in the Colombian presidential elections. India values its close friendship with Colombia which continues to grow in all areas. I convey my best wishes for a successful tenure and look forward to working together to further deepen our bilateral relations in the years ahead." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2070554251462639753?s=20 According to The Washington Post, de la Espriella, a far-right lawyer and outspoken supporter of US President Donald Trump, won at least 49.6 per cent of the vote in Colombia's presidential election, narrowly ahead of leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda by less than one percentage point. The news report said that Colombian President Gustavo Petro has not formally recognised a winner and said a ballot review process would determine the outcome. If confirmed, de la Espriella's victory would extend a broader trend identified by The Washington Post of right-wing, pro-Trump candidates gaining power across Latin America. As per the Washington Post, in Argentina, President Javier Milei, a populist Trump ally, expanded his power in Congress last fall after Trump offered the country a USD 40 billion bailout conditioned on his party's win. In Honduras, a conservative mayor was elected president after Trump endorsed him and threatened to cut aid to the country if he lost. Trump-friendly right-leaning candidates have also defeated "leftists" in Costa Rica, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador. The news report said that de la Espriella has pledged a hardline security agenda, including building megaprisons for drug traffickers, bombing what he calls "narco-terrorist camps," and ending Petro's peace initiatives with guerrilla groups. He has also drawn comparisons to El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele through his tough-on-crime platform. Trump had previously endorsed de la Espriella, calling him a "Smart, Strong, and Tough Leader," while describing his rival Cepeda as a "Radical Left Marxist." The US president said Colombia's future relationship with Washington would benefit from de la Espriella's leadership if the election result is upheld. The Washington Post noted that relations between Trump and Petro have been strained, with disagreements over US anti-drug operations in the region and allegations from Petro that Washington sought to influence Colombia's election. (ANI)
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