Colombian presidential hopeful Abelardo de la Espriña faces over 100 lawsuits as US backs his campaign

Abelardo de la Espriña, a far‑right candidate for Colombia’s June 21 presidential runoff and a U.S. citizen since 2023, has filed more than a hundred legal complaints against journalists who have reported on him. The lawsuits target dozens of media figures, including Daniel Coronel, Gerardo Reyes, and Ana Bejarano, raising concerns about press freedom in the country.

During the same period, former U.S. President Donald Trump gave a "total endorsement" to de la Espriña, prompting left‑wing rival Iván Cepeda to denounce the support as foreign interference. The endorsement aligns with a broader U.S. strategy outlined in the National Security Strategy and the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, which aim to restore American influence in the Western Hemisphere and back right‑wing candidates across Latin America.