In a context of great political tension in Colombia, the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, referred to the stance of the Donald Trump administration regarding the presidential runoff on June 21, where Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda will face off, and the fear of potential electoral fraud.
During an appearance before the Senate in Washington, Rubio was emphatic when discussing the Colombian electoral process: “I assure you that we will be very firm in guaranteeing free and fair elections in Colombia and we will do everything in our power to ensure that happens.”
His statements came after Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar explicitly asked whether the U.S. government was willing to impose sanctions on those involved in fraudulent maneuvers.
The Elections in Colombia
Rubio's warning comes in a scenario marked by controversy following the first round on May 31. In that instance, right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella received nearly 44% of the votes, while the communist Iván Cepeda, representative of the political space of current President Gustavo Petro, reached approximately 41%.
