“We’re doing well, the Tiger is winning,” a high-ranking official in Javier Milei’s government said enthusiastically as the provisional count showed right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella leading over incumbent Iván Cepeda in the second round of elections to choose Gustavo Petro’s successor as president of Colombia.
Without hiding his favoritism for the “Tiger” De la Espriella – Milei voiced his support between the first round and the runoff – the Casa Rosada celebrated the narrow victory of the opposition candidate, whom it considers a sure ally in a region dominated by right-wing governments, except for Brazil (President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will seek reelection in October) and Uruguay, with Yamandú Orsi of the Frente Amplio.
“THE LION AND THE TIGER ROAR IN LATIN AMERICA…!!! I greatly congratulate @ABDELAESPRIELLA on his historic victory in Colombia. Today, the majority of Colombians chose the path of economic freedom, prosperity, relentless security, and saying ENOUGH to transnational organized crime and drug trafficking. Freedom advances across Latin America and there is no turning back,” the President posted on his X account minutes before 8 p.m. Argentine time, less than two hours after polls closed in the Caribbean country, with President Gustavo Petro yet to concede defeat of his political protégé and threatening to challenge more than thirty thousand votes.
For the government, Petro and Cepeda’s defeat is also bad news for the president of Brazil. Although institutional relations between the two countries remain intact, no one in the government hides that the relationship with Lula da Silva is one of indifference. All chips are placed on Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and opposition candidate to the Brazilian government.
In recent months, Milei celebrated the rise to power of José Antonio Kast (Chile) and Rodrigo Paz (Bolivia), the latter country joining Mercosur. The departure of Nicolás Maduro from the government of Venezuela and the yet-to-be-confirmed victory of De La Espriella create a favorable scenario for the Casa Rosada.
With the end of Petro’s government, two years of tense relations between the two governments also come to a close. The insults exchanged between Petro and Milei at the start of the libertarian administration were followed by the departure of Colombian ambassador to Buenos Aires, Camilo Romero, a close ally of Petro, who resigned in March last year to focus on party politics. Months later, his replacement, José Roberto Acosta, arrived, and bilateral relations continued formally active but politically cold.
“7 days until it becomes history. Disastrous, of course,” wrote Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno on his X account, in response to Petro’s criticism of the libertarian government’s tax policy, also stating that “in Argentina, workers pay more than the rich.” A sign of the ideological ocean that will separate the two administrations, at least until August, when Colombia’s next president takes office.
Hours after the election ended, Kirchnerism, which had unequivocally bet on Cepeda’s victory, urged taking into account that the result was “extremely tight” and agreed with Petro on waiting for the final count. La Campora’s Soledad Magno and Kirchnerist deputy of Parlasur, Gabriel Fuks, were in Cepeda’s bunker, part of a small Argentine delegation that also included electoral judge Daniel Bejas and former head of the National Electoral Directorate, Alejandro Tullio.
Para mí esto es un asco total. Milei festejando a un facho colombiano mientras el pueblo sufre acá. El león y el tigre son pura careta, esto huele a una alianza de derecha para cagarnos a todos. Kirchneristas, no se duerman que estos gorilas nos quieren arrebatar todo.
para mi milei y de la espriella son unos capos los patriotas estan ganando en todos lados los zurdos lloran como siempre viva la libertad carajo 🔥🇦🇷🇨🇴 aguante el leon y el tigre rugiendo fuerte