{"id":2111,"date":"2026-06-22T18:01:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2111"},"modified":"2026-06-22T18:01:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:01:37","slug":"did-south-florida-help-decide-colombias-election-see-what-voters-are-saying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2111","title":{"rendered":"Did South Florida help decide Colombia\u2019s election? See what voters are saying"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>For many Colombians in South Florida, the outcome of Colombia\u2019s presidential election felt deeply personal.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2109\">This goth shop near Kendall brought the community together. Now it\u2019s closing<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>As preliminary results showed conservative candidate Abelardo de la Espriella narrowly defeating leftist rival Iv\u00e1n Cepeda, supporters across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties poured into the streets waving Colombian flags, honking horns in long car caravans and chanting in scenes that mirrored celebrations unfolding simultaneously in Bogot\u00e1, Medell\u00edn and Barranquilla.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>In Doral, Weston, Kendall and parts of Palm Beach County, yellow, blue and red flags fluttered from car windows as supporters drove through neighborhoods, many describing the moment as one of relief after what they viewed as four difficult years under President Gustavo Petro.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>For members of the Colombian diaspora, the celebrations reflected more than partisan victory. Many said they felt their votes, cast over seven days, may have directly influenced the outcome.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a real sense that Colombians abroad helped put a president in office,\u201d said Camilo Florido, a Doral resident and spokesperson for the Centro Democr\u00e1tico party, speaking from Bogot\u00e1, where he traveled as an election observer after casting his ballot in Miami earlier in the week.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Florido said the atmosphere in Colombia the morning after the vote was charged with optimism.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is an air of hope,\u201d he said. \u201cThe country has gone through four very difficult years, and now people are looking toward the future with expectation and optimism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The closeness of the national race has only strengthened the perception among overseas Colombians that their turnout may have tipped the balance.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>With 99.65% of votes counted, de la Espriella had secured 12,931,544 votes, or 49.65%, compared with 12,684,994 votes, or 48.70%, for Cepeda, according to Colombia\u2019s Registradur\u00eda Nacional. The margin separating the two candidates stood at just 245,738 votes, or 0.95 percentage points.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The razor-thin lead was far narrower than many polls had anticipated and less than half the margin de la Espriella held after the May 31 first round, when he led by more than 659,000 votes. While both candidates expanded their support in Sunday\u2019s runoff, Cepeda gained ground at a faster pace, turning the contest into one of the closest presidential races in recent Colombian history.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>More than 426,000 voters cast blank ballots, representing 1.63% of the total, while 220,507 ballots were declared invalid and another 29,455 were left unmarked, underscoring how even small shifts in voter behavior could prove consequential in such a tight race.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>According to Florido, the nationwide margin between de la Espriella and Cepeda had initially stood at roughly 78,000 votes, but ballots cast by Colombians abroad widened that gap substantially.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cColombians in the exterior \u2014 especially in the United States, Europe and Latin America \u2014 made the difference,\u201d Florido said, noting that overseas votes added about 168,000 votes to the conservative candidate\u2019s advantage, putting him ahead by more than 250,000 votes.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The numbers reinforced a growing belief among expatriates that the Colombian diaspora has evolved into a major political force.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Historically, Colombians living abroad have voted at relatively low rates. This year appeared dramatically different.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe broke records,\u201d Florido said. \u201cIn the ten years I\u2019ve lived in the United States and after participating in more than three presidential elections, this is the first time I\u2019ve seen so much willingness from Colombians to serve as election witnesses, jurors and voters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>That sense of civic urgency had been visible even before election day.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>At polling centers such as Cypress Bay High School in Weston and voting sites in Miami-Dade, turnout was strong from early morning, with long lines and unusually high enthusiasm. Many voters described the election as a pivotal chance to push Colombia toward what they called \u201cchange\u201d on public safety, economic management and institutional stability.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>That same sense of pride was echoed by Fabio Andrade, a Colombian activist and Weston city commissioner, who said turnout in South Florida reached historic levels.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe vote in Florida was the highest in our history,\u201d Andrade said. \u201cThe results were very positive, and Colombians abroad played a huge role.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>According to Andrade, 69,000 Colombians voted in the first round out of roughly 131,000 registered voters in Florida. In the runoff, turnout climbed even higher, with 72,144 votes cast in South Florida alone.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is remarkable,\u201d Andrade said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>He estimated that nearly 90% of South Florida voters supported de la Espriella, according to preliminary data.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at the numbers, the overwhelming majority voted for change,\u201d Andrade said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2107\">Airbnb warns Miami World Cup fans about booking scams. Here\u2019s what to know<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Part of de la Espriella\u2019s appeal in South Florida may also stem from his personal ties to the region. The president-elect has lived and worked in Miami as a lawyer, giving him name recognition and credibility among many Colombians who have built lives in South Florida while remaining deeply invested in their homeland.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The victory also drew praise from local officials with close ties to the Colombian community.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez publicly congratulated de la Espriella and celebrated the Colombian diaspora\u2019s political engagement.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongratulations to Abelardo De La Espriella on his victory,\u201d Fernandez wrote in a public statement. \u201cWe celebrate the democratic participation of the Colombian people and wish the president-elect success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Fernandez also praised South Florida\u2019s Colombian community, highlighting its contributions to the region and its commitment to values such as freedom, entrepreneurship and prosperity.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The election result also drew strong praise from prominent South Florida Republican lawmakers, many of whom had openly backed de la Espriella and framed the Colombian election as part of a broader ideological struggle across Latin America between democratic capitalism and leftist populism.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>U.S. Rep. Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar, a Republican whose Miami-area district includes a large Colombian-American population, congratulated de la Espriella on what she called a historic victory. She said the result sent a clear message in favor of \u201cfreedom, security and opportunity,\u201d while arguing that leftist political models have repeatedly failed across the hemisphere.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Salazar had urged Colombians, including those in South Florida, to vote for what she described as a path toward liberty and economic progress, and had been one of Petro\u2019s most vocal critics in Washington.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Florida Republicans Rep. Carlos Gim\u00e9nez and Sen. Rick Scott also celebrated the result. Gim\u00e9nez said, \u201cFrom the United States Congress, we congratulate the next president of the sister Republic of Colombia,\u201d while Scott described the election as \u201ca great day\u201d for freedom-loving nations.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Scott praised the high voter turnout and peaceful participation, adding that he expects de la Espriella\u2019s presidency to strengthen ties between Washington and Bogot\u00e1. Both lawmakers have consistently described Colombia as one of America\u2019s most important democratic partners in the region.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>For many Colombian immigrants, political participation was shaped not only by ideology but by personal experience.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Many left Colombia because of insecurity, extortion, violence or political instability. Community leaders said that lived experience helped fuel the extraordinary turnout.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cColombians abroad represent a very important region of Colombia,\u201d Andrade said. \u201cMany left because of security concerns or persecution. That creates a very strong emotional connection to what happens back home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Community organizers spent months ensuring access to polling sites.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Andrade said he was directly involved in efforts to facilitate voting across Florida, including helping secure polling stations outside the Colombian consulate in Miami \u2014 a process he said required significant coordination with local and federal authorities.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>He noted that one of the biggest logistical victories came in Weston, where the local voting center recorded 11,294 votes in the first round, making it the largest overseas voting center by participation.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat tells you how engaged our community has become,\u201d Andrade said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Not all Colombians in South Florida backed de la Espriella. Some supported Cepeda, while others remained skeptical of both candidates. Still, public celebrations and early voting patterns suggested strong pro\u2013de la Espriella sentiment across large segments of the diaspora.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The election remains politically sensitive. Neither de la Espriella nor Cepeda immediately declared victory or conceded, while Petro raised concerns about the integrity of the process, saying there were \u201cmany irregularities\u201d and insisting that the final word will come from the official scrutiny conducted by more than 9,000 judges and notaries across Colombia.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Even so, many Colombians in South Florida believe something fundamental has changed.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>For years, overseas voters were often viewed as politically peripheral. This election may have altered that perception.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe voice of Colombians abroad is extremely important,\u201d Florido said. \u201cThis election showed that clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2106\">What\u2019s next for the remains of Spirit Airlines? A deadline is coming soon<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Florida Colombians celebrated Colombia\u2019s election results, saying record turnout abroad may have helped decide the close race.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombia"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Did South Florida help decide Colombia\u2019s election? 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A flamboyant US-backed lawyer who has never held public office narrowly won Colombia's presidential runoff on June 21, swinging the country hard to the right on a promise to wage war against drug-running guerrilla groups. With more than 99 percent of polling centers reporting, Abelardo de la Espriella had 49.67 percent of the vote, an unassailable lead over his rival, left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda who trailed at 48.69 percent, according to official results. (Photo by Jaime SALDARRIAGA \\\/ AFP via Getty Images)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2111#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Did South Florida help decide Colombia\u2019s election? 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See what voters are saying - Florida Moving Chronicle","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2111#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2111#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c51fdf66457b65b9df9b4cfe37c7f6c9.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-22T18:01:37+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/482f60b6a0b7cc84b37966d78057552f"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2111#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2111"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2111#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c51fdf66457b65b9df9b4cfe37c7f6c9.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c51fdf66457b65b9df9b4cfe37c7f6c9.jpg","width":1200,"height":675,"caption":"A supporter of Colombia's presidential candidate for the Defensores de la Patria movement Abelardo de la Espriella gives a thumbs up as he celebrates the results of the presidential runoff election at the Ventana al Mundo monument in Barranquilla, Colombia, on June 21, 2026. A flamboyant US-backed lawyer who has never held public office narrowly won Colombia's presidential runoff on June 21, swinging the country hard to the right on a promise to wage war against drug-running guerrilla groups. With more than 99 percent of polling centers reporting, Abelardo de la Espriella had 49.67 percent of the vote, an unassailable lead over his rival, left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda who trailed at 48.69 percent, according to official results. (Photo by Jaime SALDARRIAGA \/ AFP via Getty Images)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=2111#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Did South Florida help decide Colombia\u2019s election? See what voters are saying"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/","name":"Florida Moving Chronicle","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/482f60b6a0b7cc84b37966d78057552f","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com"],"url":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2111"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}