Jump to content

Abelardo de la Espriella

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Hispanic American name, the first or paternal surname is de la Espriella and the second or maternal family name is Otero.
Abelardo de la Espriella
de la Espriella in 2025
Born
Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella Otero

(1978-07-31) July 31, 1978 (age 47)
Bogotá, Colombia
Citizenship
EducationSergio Arboleda University (LLB)
Occupations
  • lawyer
  • politician
Years active2002–present
Political party
Independent (2002–present)
Other political
affiliations
National Salvation Movement[a]
Spouse(s)
Yoly Illidge
​
​
(m. 2001; div. 2004)​

Ana Lucía Pineda
​
(m. 2008)​
Children4
Signature

Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella Otero (born July 31, 1978) is a Colombian lawyer, businessman, and conservative[2] politician.[3][4]

Born in Bogotá, D.C., he studied law at Sergio Arboleda University.[3][4] He received his degree from Del Rosario University. In 2012 he obtained a master's degree in law from Nebrija University.[5][6][7] He specializes in administrative law. He became famous for his defense of David Murcia during the D.M.G. Grupo Holding S.A. fraud scandal. He became an American citizen in 2023.[1]

Espriella is a candidate for the 2026 Colombian presidential election. On May 31, he received 43.7% of the vote, winning a plurality in the preliminary round of voting and thus will face leftist Iván Cepeda in a runoff on June 21.

Early life, family and career

[edit]

De la Espriella was born in Bogotá, D.C., on July 31, 1978, to Abelardo de la Espriella Juris and María Eugenia Otero Aldana. His parents moved to Montería, Córdoba, when he was two years old.

His father, a lawyer by profession, served as a magistrate at the Administrative Tribunal of Córdoba.[8] He was a candidate for governor of Córdoba during the 1997 Colombian regional and municipal elections.[9] He is also a close friend of Álvaro Uribe, who was president of Colombia from 2002 to 2010. His mother, María Eugenia Otero Aldana, comes from a family of cattle ranchers with ties to local politics.[8]

During his early years, he associated with Salvatore Mancuso. Although Mancuso was ten years older, they studied at the same high school and moved within the same social circles—the city’s upper class. He also performed in his high school’s theater group and later worked for a popular local radio station, La Voz de Montería.[8]

He has retained a passion for hunting and firearms.[8]

After graduating, he moved to Bogotá, D.C., to study law at Sergio Arboleda University, an institution with a conservative orientation.[8] He received his degree from Del Rosario University. In 2012 he obtained a master's degree in law from Nebrija University.[10][11][12]

De la Espriella worked at the Initiatives for Peace Foundation (FIPAZ), an organization that sought to promote a referendum to recognize the political rights of all armed actors during the Colombian conflict and to amend the Constitution to prohibit the extradition of Colombians,[13] serving as an advisor to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia.[14][15]

Espriella is a millionaire and before his presidential run travelled using private planes and promoted his rum and wine businesses.[16]

[edit]

He defended political figures accused of having allied themselves with paramilitaries, some of whom had been close to him since childhood, such as the former congresswoman Eleonora Pineda—who was a friend of his mother—as well as Dieb Maloof and Rocío Arias.[8]

In 2012, De la Espriella represented Dania Londoño Suárez, a Colombian woman linked to the United States Secret Service prostitution scandal in Cartagena. According to an Associated Press report, he confirmed that his client had reached a pre-agreement with Playboy magazine and negotiated an interview with the American television network ABC. He stated that as a result of those agreements, she would not grant interviews to other news outlets, and declined to disclose the financial terms involved.[17]

From 2013 to 2019, De la Espriella served as legal counsel to Alex Saab, who was later indicted in the United States on charges including money laundering and alleged operation as a financial agent for the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro.[18] Saab publicly described De la Espriella as a close associate and legal advisor.[19]

In May 2014, Venezuelan political strategist Juan José Rendón was reported to be scheduled to give a statement at the Colombian Consulate in Miami in connection with an investigation. According to La Prensa, he was to be accompanied by attorney Abelardo De La Espriella.[20]

In 2026, the Inter American Press Association and the Colombian Foundation for Press Freedom raised concerns about potential judicial harassment by De la Espriella when, in response to a column discussing his ties to Saab, he announced possible legal actions against the author.[21][22] Between 2008 and 2019, he was reportedly the complainant in 109 defamation and slander cases, many of which were dismissed. The Foundation for Press Freedom has described these cases as examples of judicial harassment.[23]

FIPAZ Foundation and ties to the AUC 

[edit]

In 2005, De la Espriella founded the Foundation for Peace Initiatives (FIPAZ).[24] This foundation organized university forums in which Iván Roberto Duque, alias “Ernesto Báez,” former commander of the Central Bolívar Bloc of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), took part, and at which Salvatore Mancuso was present and photographed alongside De la Espriella. FIPAZ also promoted a referendum to prohibit extradition in Colombia.[25][26]

In 2008, Báez stated that “the armed organization sought out students, through Abelardo de la Espriella, as a dissemination channel to justify the war undertaken by the paramilitary organization.” In a 2011 ruling against former congressman Juan Pablo Sánchez, the Supreme Court of Justice held that FIPAZ “did not promote peace when the self-defense groups were massacring, disappearing, killing, and torturing, but rather when they sought to project themselves politically through university students,” and ordered that copies be forwarded so that De la Espriella could be investigated. However, the Office of the Attorney General, under the leadership of Mario Iguarán —who was a close friend of De la Espriella— had already closed the investigation against De la Espriella for conspiracy to commit crimes and money laundering in 2009.[25][27]

2026 presidential election

[edit]

The political website La Silla Vacía notes that “everything in his campaign revolves around the idea of the ‘alpha male’ as an unquestionable sign of his ability to govern,” in order to set himself apart from the conservative candidate, Paloma Valencia.[28][29][30]

His rallies have featured figures from across the political right in Latin America, including military veteran leaders and evangelical preachers.[31]

Political views

[edit]

De la Espriella has been widely described as right-wing or far-right.[32][14][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] De la Espriella has expressed admiration for far-right leaders.[32] He supports the right to bear arms,[40] withdrawing Colombia from international organizations such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the United Nations,[41] and improving relations with Israel.[42] He has said he would authorize the police to shoot at protesters they believe to be violent.[31] He has also threatened to kill suspects of drug trafficking by downing planes and shooting boats, which has been “widely denounced as a form of extrajudicial killing, effectively denying suspects the chance of defending themselves in a court of law”.[36]

He is supportive of economic laissez-faire policies and the elimination of ministries.[14][43] He also has supported the bombing of "narco-terrorist camps" and fumigation of coca plantations with the help of U.S. aircraft, in addition to ending the peace processes with Colombian armed groups.[44][45][46]

De la Espriella has repeatedly shown approval for Álvaro Uribe Vélez and his presidency. He also has friendly relations with Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa.[47]

He is anti-abortion.[48]

He is an admirer of Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele.[35]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ De la Espriella is independent but received support from the National Salvation Movement.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b @@delaspriella_style; (February 17, 2023). "Después de años de residir en los Estados Unidos, decidí hacerme ciudadano de esta gran nación. Aquí nacieron mis 4 hijos, he sido muy feliz en estas tierras al lado de ellos y de mi adorada analu_pineda; también gozo de la tranquilidad que me es tan esquiva en Colombia, por los multiples problemas de seguridad que padezco allá. Hoy recibo, honrado y agradecido, la ciudadanía del país de las libertades y de las oportunidades. ¡Con disciplina y constancia somos dueños de nuestro destino!" – via Instagram. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 96 (help)
  2. ^ https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/31/americas/colombia-runoff-espriella-cepeda-latam-intl
  3. ^ a b Cuitiva, Lina (October 25, 2025). "Abelardo de la Espriella, el abogado que busca llegar a la presidencia de Colombia con propuestas como las de Milei y Bukele". Yahoo!. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Larco Bravo, Nadia (November 12, 2025). "¿Quién es Abelardo de la Espriella, el Bukele colombiano que podría derrotar a Petro?". Expreso. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  5. ^ López, María Fernanda (September 3, 2025). "¿Quién es Abelardo De La Espriella? El polémico abogado que quiere ser presidente". Minuto60. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  6. ^ "¿Quién es Abelardo Gabriel De La Espriella, candidato a la Presidencia?". IFM Noticias. October 9, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  7. ^ "Abelardo de la Espriella lanza su candidatura a las elecciones presidenciales de 2026". Portafolio. November 4, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |worCk= ignored (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e f Martín, Camila Osorio, María (2026-05-31). "Abelardo de la Espriella, el abogado del diablo que quiere ser presidente de Colombia". El País América Colombia (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-05-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Estoy Invocando la Solidaridad". El Tiempo. October 13, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  10. ^ López, María Fernanda (September 3, 2025). "¿Quién es Abelardo De La Espriella? El polémico abogado que quiere ser presidente". Minuto60. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  11. ^ "¿Quién es Abelardo Gabriel De La Espriella, candidato a la Presidencia?". IFM Noticias. October 9, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  12. ^ "Abelardo de la Espriella lanza su candidatura a las elecciones presidenciales de 2026". EFE. Portafolio. November 4, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  13. ^ Coronell, Daniel (August 18, 2006). "El apoderado". Semana. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  14. ^ a b c Turan, Bawer (November 15, 2025). "Abelardo de la Espriella". Colombia Reports. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  15. ^ Falah, Natalia (11 November 2025). "Abelardo De La Espriella's Controversial Proposal to Legalize 'Narco Money' Sparks Political Firestorm in Colombia". Colombia One. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  16. ^ "Leftist icon, millionaire lawyer, conservative senator: Who will be Colombia's next leader?". France 24. Bogotá: AFP. 25 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  17. ^ Hernández, Camilo (17 September 2022). "Prostituta colombiana negoció con Playboy y ABC". La Prensa. Panamá. Associated Press.
  18. ^ León, Juanita (February 5, 2026). "Saab y De la Espriella: fechas que enredan la desmarcada del candidato". La Silla Vacía (in Spanish). Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  19. ^ ""Abelardo de la Espriella es un gran abogado y amigo": Alex Saab". El Espectador (in Spanish). April 4, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  20. ^ "Fiscalía de Miami cita para el lunes a J.J. Rendón". La Prensa (in Spanish). Panama City, Panama. 2014-05-16. p. A33 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "The IAPA warns of the use of the judicial system to harass journalists in Colombia". Inter American Press Association. January 20, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  22. ^ Torrado, Santiago (January 22, 2026). "Abelardo de la Espriella redobla su ofensiva contra los periodistas que investigan su relación con Álex Saab". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  23. ^ "La FLIP advierte sobre el impacto del acoso judicial en el debate público". Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (in Spanish). January 17, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  24. ^ ""Partidos políticos y paramilitarismo: "el Estado de Autodefensa""" (PDF). Comisión para la Verdad. 2022.
  25. ^ a b Colombia, Cambio (2025). "Firmes por la plata: Abelardo de la Espriella a través de sus clientes". Cambio.
  26. ^ "Este es Abelardo de la Espriella: el polémico abogado que busca la Presidencia como outsider". El Espectador. 2026.
  27. ^ "Salvatore Mancuso habló de su relación con el abogado Abelardo de la Espriella". Caracol. 2024.
  28. ^ "El machismo de Abelardo De la Espriella en seis episodios". La Silla Vacia. 2026.
  29. ^ "Elecciones en Colombia: Abelardo De la Espriella, el candidato "macho" que admira a Javier Milei y genera repudios con su campaña provocadora". Clarín. 2026.
  30. ^ "Sexism looms over Colombia's presidential race between Paloma Valencia and Abelardo de la Espriella". Elpais.com.
  31. ^ a b Harrison, Chase (May 15, 2026). "Colombia's 2026 Presidential Candidates: Cepeda, De la Espriella, and Valencia". AS/COA. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  32. ^ a b Stacey, Diego (November 9, 2025). "Colombian presidential hopeful Abelardo de la Espriella rallies thousands in Bogotá: 'The Tiger has awakened'". El País. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  33. ^ https://www.france24.com/es/am%C3%A9rica-latina/20260526-abelardo-de-la-espriella-perfil-elecciones-colombia-derecha
  34. ^ "Colombia right-wing candidate De la Espriella, leftist Cepeda poised to head to run-off". Reuters. May 31, 2026.
  35. ^ a b Rogero, Tiago (1 June 2026). "Colombia's far-right presidential candidate Espriella wins first round of vote ahead of runoff". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  36. ^ a b "Cepeda, de la Espriella advance in Colombia's presidential election". Al Jazeera (English). 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  37. ^ Alsema, Adriaan (31 May 2026). "De la Espriella wins 1st round of Colombia's presidential election". Colombia Reporters. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  38. ^ Forero, Juan (May 31, 2026). "Right-Wing Firebrand Surges Into Colombia Runoff, Shaking Political Establishment". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  39. ^ Correal, Annie; Glatsky, Genevieve; -Sadurní, Luis (May 31, 2026). "Far Right Outsider Advances in Colombia's Heated Presidential Election". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  40. ^ Ortega, Valeria (2026-03-18). "Abelardo de la Espriella propone legalizar el porte de armas en su campaña presidencial". Diario del Norte (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  41. ^ Semana (2025-11-16). "Abelardo de la Espriella anuncia que, si es presidente, retirará a Colombia de la ONU, la OEA y la CIDH". Semana - Últimas Noticias de Colombia y el Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  42. ^ https://www.publimetro.co/noticias/2025/08/13/israel-esta-haciendo-lo-que-tiene-que-hacer-y-es-lo-mismo-que-hare-para-defender-a-colombia-abelardo-de-la-espriella-precandidato-presidencial/
  43. ^ Semana (2025-11-16). "Abelardo de la Espriella dice que eliminaría casi la mitad de los ministerios". Semana - Últimas Noticias de Colombia y el Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  44. ^ "Colombia election favorite vows US-backed strikes on narco camps". France 24. February 12, 2026. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  45. ^ Google, Por Mario Alejandro RodríguezAgregar Infobae enAgrega Infobae a tus medios preferidos en (2025-11-17). "Abelardo de la Espriella lanzó duro sablazo contra Juan Manuel Santos por proceso de paz: "Si hay un tipo que le ha hecho daño a Colombia es él"". infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-05-14. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  46. ^ "Colombia presidential candidate De La Espriella proposes mega-prisons, crime crackdown". Reuters.
  47. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  48. ^ Luque, Santiago (2025-08-25). "Abelardo De La Espriella es provida | Defensores de la Patria". Defensores de la Patria (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 2026-05-31. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Abelardo de la Espriella.
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Abelardo de la Espriella at Wikimedia Commons
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abelardo_de_la_Espriella&oldid=1357442431"