Colombia votes in presidential election that could redefine relations with US

Colombia’s presidential hopefuls have campaigned amid persistent political violence, with one candidate fatally shot last summer. Last week, de la Espriella appeared at a rally in Medellin behind bulletproof glass.

He and Valencia have expressed a desire to restore Colombia’s close security alliance with the US.

Cepeda has insisted, just as Petro did, that Colombia should not be a “vassal state” to the US – though observers have noted that the two nations’ historic anti-drugs co-operation has continued during even the most heated disputes.

The capture by US forces of Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro in January has left Petro one of the region’s few remaining left-wing leaders not ideologically aligned with the Trump administration.

Trump has accused Petro of not doing enough to prevent cocaine from his country winding up on America’s streets.

At one point, Trump even called him “a sick man who likes selling cocaine to the United States” and said “he could be next” for US military intervention.

Petro has argued his government has seized the largest amount of drugs in history. But on his watch cocaine production has also soared to record highs, according to the United Nations’ United Nations’ World Drug Report 2025, external. Petro disputes the UN’s method of counting.

The two presidents, however, appeared to have mended their relations at a White House meeting in February – after which Trump called his guest “terrific”.