Latin American Elections Shift as Outsiders Gain Ground
WHO:
AP News - Abelardo de la Espriella, Iván Cepeda, Gustavo Petro, Nayib Bukele
CBS News - Keiko Fujimori, Roberto Sanchez, Alberto Fujimori, Pedro Castillo
WHAT:
AP News - More than 26 million people voted in the Colombian runoff election, setting a historic record.
AP News - Over 426,000 people chose a third, no-name option on the ballot that allows voters to express dislike of both candidates.
CBS News - The electoral authority in Peru needs to process 131 tally sheets, representing around 39,000 votes, before declaring a winner.
AP News - Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia’s presidential election by 1 percentage point, or more than 251,000 votes.
AP News - Iván Cepeda conceded the presidential election and accepted a Senate seat.
CBS News - Keiko Fujimori held 50.12 percent of the vote in Peru's runoff election, leading by over 43,000 votes.
CBS News - The electoral authority in Peru plans to declare a winner by mid-July.
WHERE:
AP News - Colombia
CBS News - Peru
WHEN:
CBS News - The winner of the Peru election will take office on July 28 for a five-year term.
AP News - De la Espriella will begin a four-year term on August 7.
CBS News - The winner of the Peru election will take office on July 28.
WHY:
CBS News - Sanchez claims a "serious violation of the electoral process" occurred, alleging administrative irregularities in the handling of overseas votes, which numbered roughly 300,000 ballots.
AP News - De la Espriella's victory is seen as a rejection of outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s policies.
CBS News - Voters concerned about crime have been drawn to hardline candidates.
HOW:
AP News - De la Espriella plans to implement strategies to combat violent crime, including building mega-prisons.
CBS News - Fujimori's support was bolstered by voters in the United States and Japan.
(UPDATED June 25, 2026 01:40 UTC)
In a historic turnout, more than 26 million people voted in the Colombian runoff election, with over 426,000 opting for a third, no-name choice to express their dissatisfaction with both candidates. Meanwhile, in Peru, the electoral authority is working to process 131 tally sheets, which represent around 39,000 votes, before announcing a winner, amid allegations from Sanchez of serious violations in the electoral process related to overseas ballots. The winner of the Peru election is set to take office on July 28 for a five-year term.
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(UPDATED June 24, 2026 23:25 UTC)
Abelardo de la Espriella has won Colombia’s presidential election by a narrow margin of just one percentage point, translating to over 251,000 votes, while Iván Cepeda has conceded and accepted a Senate seat. In Peru, Keiko Fujimori is leading the runoff election with 50.12 percent of the vote and a margin of over 43,000 votes, with the electoral authority expected to declare a winner by mid-July. De la Espriella will take office on August 7, where he plans to implement strategies to combat violent crime, including the construction of mega-prisons, while Fujimori's support has been notably strong among voters in the United States and Japan.