Colombia's top candidates finish rallies before May 31 vote

Colombia's three leading presidential candidates concluded their campaigns with large rallies on Sunday, setting the stage for a pivotal first-round vote on May 31. The election will determine the successor to President Gustavo Petro, the nation's first leftist leader, whose single four-year term ends in August.

Leftist Senator Iván Cepeda, right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, and conservative Senator Paloma Valencia are the main contenders, with polls indicating no candidate is likely to secure the over 50 percent majority needed for an outright victory. This would trigger a runoff on June 21 between the top two finishers.

Cepeda, the candidate of Petro's ruling Historic Pact coalition, held his final rally in Barranquilla. He pledged to continue and deepen Petro's social reforms, prioritize historically excluded sectors, and fight corruption. He framed the election as a choice between continuing a progressive path or returning to what he called authoritarian projects.

De la Espriella, an outsider candidate with no prior political experience, closed his campaign in Medellín. He has campaigned in a bulletproof vest, delivering a hardline security message. His promises...