BOGOTÁ, 06.23.2026 (STATEMENT) — By a narrow margin of less than 1% in the preliminary count, Abelardo De la Espriella has been declared the winner of Colombia’s presidential election. As president-elect, his duty will be to govern for all Colombians and to guarantee the protection of everyone’s rights. The Center for Reproductive Rights demands that his incoming administration respect the laws, the Constitution, and the current legal framework, as well as the previous international commitments and obligations made by the country.

Abelardo De la Espriella’s track record and campaign promises have us on high alert ahead of his August 7 inauguration. His government program did not include initiatives related to sexual and reproductive health, contraception, safe abortion, the prevention of sexual violence against girls and women, or comprehensive sexual education.

Abelardo De la Espriella has publicly declared himself against abortion as a healthcare service and has warned that he will support any citizen initiative against it, thereby putting the rights of millions of women in Colombia at risk.

Furthermore, we are concerned about threats to democracy in the country. The president-elect has suggested that if Congress opposes his agenda, he would be willing to govern by executive decree and mobilize his grassroots base against the legislative branch. Beyond these threats, there are concerns about his belief that equality means treating everyone exactly the same, regardless of their circumstances. He rejects the existence of differentiated public policies for historically discriminated groups, which contradicts the foundations of Colombia’s social state of law.

We are also concerned about president-elect De la Espriella’s desire to withdraw Colombia from the Inter-American Human Rights System and the Universal Human Rights System. These regional and global forums represent the last opportunity to obtain justice and reparation for those whose rights have been violated by the Colombian state.

Statement by Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights:

“De la Espriella’s positions on reproductive rights are a warning we cannot afford to ignore because we have seen this before. In the United States, we watched as hostile policies translated into a national healthcare emergency and sweeping legal chaos that spread far beyond abortion, threatening contraception and the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health services. We know where this road leads. And just as we have stood firm in the United States, the Center will continue fighting to ensure that every person in Colombia can access the healthcare they are entitled to, no matter what.”

Statement by Catalina Martínez Coral, Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Center for Reproductive Rights, and member of Causa Justa:

“Contrary to President-elect De La Espriella’s claims, reproductive rights are fundamental, unconditional, and entirely non-negotiable. His agenda is not only a dangerous setback for healthcare, but a direct assault on the rule of law. By championing a merely superficial equality, he rejects the targeted public policies that our Constitution demands to protect historically marginalized populations. Furthermore, while he rhetorically claims to respect the Constitutional Court, he has already signaled his intent to back majoritarian reforms to ban abortion. The clash between hard-won rights and the incoming government’s ideology is clear and direct. As the feminist and human rights movements have always done, we stand ready to defend them.”

Just as we have faced other administrations that threaten global progress in human rights and sexual and reproductive health, the Center for Reproductive Rights is ready for this upcoming fight. We will remain vigilant regarding the actions taken by the executive branch, including the president-elect. In our role as part of civil society, we will demand that the new administration respect the domestic legal order and democratic institutions, as well as the international commitments undertaken by the State of Colombia. We will call the Government’s attention whenever necessary to ensure the effective respect and guarantee of human rights, and with them, the sexual and reproductive rights of women, girls, and adolescents in Colombia.

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