Colombia’s presidential election heads to runoff after no candidate secures majority

Colombia’s presidential election will proceed to a runoff after no candidate won an outright majority in the first round of voting, according to preliminary results released Sunday by electoral authorities.

With 96% of ballots counted, the country’s National Civil Registry reported that Abelardo de la Espriella, who serves as the presidential nominee for the conservative National Salvation Movement, led the race with 43.62% of the vote.

Ivan Cepeda, a senator running under the banner of the ruling Pacto Histrico coalition, placed second with 41.13%.

Paloma Valencia, the candidate of the Centro Democratico party founded by former President Alvaro Uribe, finished third with 6.86% of the vote.

Former Antioquia Governor Sergio Fajardo received 4.20%, while Raul Santiago Botero of the Destroy the System movement garnered 0.95%.

As no candidate surpassed the 50% threshold required to win outright, de la Espriella and Cepeda will advance to a runoff election scheduled for June 21 to determine Colombia’s next president.