Colombians vote in a stark choice between left and right
6/21/202647 min
Colombians are voting in a presidential run-off election. The vote pits a leftist reformer against a right-wing political newcomer who wants to use force to combat drug cartels and rebel groups. Abelardo de la Espriella, who's backed by President Trump, has vowed to wage a full-scale military campaign in contrast to Senator Ivan Cepeda who's promising to continue the less confrontational policies of the outgoing president, Gustavo Petro.
Also in the programme: US Vice-President JD Vance describes 'great progress' in talks with Iran in Switzerland; and research that suggests men with children have better performing brains.
(Photo: A man fills out a ballot as people vote in a presidential runoff election in Colombia, June 21, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Jair Coll)
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First 90 secondsJulian Worricker· Host0:00
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Julian Worricker· Host0:37
[short musical burst] [upbeat musical theme] Hello, and welcome to News Hour from the BBC World Service, coming to you live from London. I'm Julian Worricker. We begin the program in Colombia, one of South America's most populous nations, rich in natural resources, but which has been blighted over decades by violence and conflict involving armed groups and drug cartels. Today, people there are having to make a stark choice between two very different visions for the country's future. As they vote in the presidential election runoff, they can choose either the right-wing candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella, or the left-winger, Iván Cepeda. Against the backdrop of a resurgence of the country's brutal internal armed conflict, with violence increasing over lucrative illegal mining and cocaine trafficking