Euronews reports confirm Abelardo de la Espriella, age 47, founded Defensores por la Patria after registering the party in July 2025 and has represented clients including Alex Saab and David Murcia Guzmán. The Daily Wire reports an unverified narrow victory over Iván Cepeda with 49.7% to 48.7% of the vote and a Trump endorsement. Petro has made unverified allegations regarding voting systems.