Colombia presidential candidate De La Espriella proposes mega-prisons, crime crackdown

By Luis Jaime Acosta

BOGOTA, May 28 (Reuters) – Abelardo De La Espriella, a lawyer and businessman with no political experience, is seeking to become Colombia’s next president on Sunday, challenging both the left and the traditional right with a promise to crack down on illegal armed groups, drug trafficking and crime.

De La Espriella, nicknamed “The Tiger” by his supporters, has portrayed himself as a savior capable of restoring the country’s economy and security, climbing to second place in the polls behind leftist rival Ivan Cepeda.

De La Espriella blames President Gustavo Petro’s unsuccessful attempt to pursue peace talks with guerrillas and crime gangs for opening the door to more drug trafficking and illegal gold mining. He views his conservative rival, Senator Paloma Valencia, as part of the establishment.

“Colombia is going through its darkest hours. At the end of the day this is not a battle between Ivan Cepeda and me, it is a battle between totalitarianism and democracy,” he said in a February interview with Reuters. 

“I will dare to do what needs to be done within the framework of the constitution and the law to save and rebuild Colombia…I am the tiger for that,” he added.

De La Espriella says he is financing his campaign himself. Reuters could not independently verify that assertion.

COMPARISONS TO BUKELE

De La Espriella’s sunglasses and luxury watches, along with his rhetorical style and neatly trimmed beard, have drawn comparisons with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has detained more than 90,000 people in a security crackdown, a move that has been heavily criticized by human rights groups but is broadly popular with voters for dramatically reducing homicides.

De La Espriella, 47, salutes military-style at events and in advertising, though he has never served in the armed forces.

Although he denies emulating Bukele, De La Espriella has promised to build 10 mega-prisons.

“In my government there will be no peace processes. Criminals who do not submit will be taken down, as permitted by law,” he warned.

De La Espriella grew up in the northern city of Monteria, a fan of Colombia’s folk vallenato music, and has performed as a tenor.

The married father of four has business interests including alcohol brands, a Miami restaurant and investments in cattle ranching, construction and real estate.

As a lawyer, his clients have included Alex Saab, who faces U.S. charges for alleged money laundering on behalf of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and people linked to corruption scandals and paramilitary groups. De La Espriella has said his lawyer-client relationships have not involved any wrongdoing.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta, Editing by Julia Symmes Cobb and Rosalba O’Brien)