Polling opened across Colombia at 8 am local time (1300GMT) on Sunday, launching a historic and deeply polarized presidential runoff election.
More than 41 million eligible voters are heading to the polls to choose between two diametrically opposed paths for the nation's future, selecting a successor to outgoing President Gustavo Petro.
The high-stakes race pits populist outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, representing the Defensores de la Patria party, against veteran Senator Ivan Cepeda of the ruling leftist Pacto Historico coalition.
The runoff follows a highly contentious first-round election on May 31, which saw a 57.88% voter turnout. In that initial vote, De la Espriella, a prominent, flamboyant criminal defense attorney and corporate businessman, captured 10.35 million votes (43.74%).
He narrowly defeated Cepeda, an influential philosopher and human rights defender, who brought in 9.68 million votes (40.90%).
The narrow margin of 2.84 percentage points has locked the candidates in a fierce, head-to-head battle during the final stretch of the campaign.
Recent tracking polls from the National Consulting Center (CNC) place De la Espriella slightly ahead at 48.6% compared to Cepeda's 44.7%, leaving the margin hinging on the mobilization of undecided voters and blank ballots.
The months leading up to Sunday's vote were marked by fierce ideological clashes, aggressive social media mudslinging, and profound public anxiety.
At the center of the debate is the perceived collapse of President Petro's signature "Total Peace" (Paz Total) initiative, which critics argue allowed illegal armed groups and drug syndicates to expand their territorial control across Colombia's rural regions.
De la Espriella has successfully tapped into public anger over deteriorating urban safety and rising extortion by running a hardline, "iron fist" campaign heavily inspired by security-first strategies, while Cepeda has positioned his platform around social justice, environmental protections, and a commitment to structured, negotiated peace agreements with remaining rebel networks.
Yet, his campaign has labored under the political baggage of the current administration, which has seen sluggish policy execution and big institutional corruption scandals.
Because neither party commands a definitive majority in Colombia's fragmented Congress, whoever takes office on August 7 will be forced to negotiate extensive legislative alliances to pass key structural reforms.
Polls will remain open until 4 pm local time, and a definitive verdict on the presidency is expected within just a few hours of the gates closing.
