INTERNACIONAL
Anti-cartel hardliner channels Trump in bid to end Colombia’s leftist era in pivotal election
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A hardline, law-and-order candidate who promises to dismantle drug cartels and reset Colombia’s security doctrine is gaining traction with voters as Colombians vote in Sunday’s presidential election.
As the world’s largest cocaine producer and a long-standing U.S. security partner, Colombia’s internal policies directly affect narcotics flows, migration dynamics and regional stability.
Analysts believe a shift in Bogotá’s leadership could reshape cooperation with Washington on drug interdiction, intelligence sharing and counter-cartel operations — issues that remain central to U.S. domestic and foreign policy.
Abelardo De La Espriella, a businessman and successful defense attorney, has emerged as a leading candidate on the right with a platform focused on aggressive counternarcotics enforcement, institutional reform and a decisive break from current leftist President Gustavo Petro’s negotiation-based approach with armed rebel groups.
TRUMP’S WAR ON DRUGS STOPS AT MEXICAN BORDER — FOR NOW
A supporter of Colombia’s presidential candidate for the Defensores de la Patria party, Abelardo de la Espriella, takes a selfie as she awaits his arrival to his last campaign rally in Barranquilla, Colombia, on May 23, 2026. Colombia will hold presidential elections on May 31. (Vanessa Romero/AFP via Getty Images)
The 47-year-old, nicknamed ‘The Tiger,’ recently told the Associated Press, «The only peace process I believe in is one imposed by the force of arms and the laws of the republic. Under my government, any bandit who resists will be eliminated as appropriate, and if he submits, we will imprison him in a mega prison so he can pay his debt to justice as they should.»
His rise mirrors a regional pattern seen with leaders like Javier Milei, Nayib Bukele and José Antonio Kast figures who have built political momentum around security-first agendas and voter frustration with crime and economic instability.
According to an Associated Press report, polls say De La Espriella is likely to fight it out with leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, who is from the same party as President Gustavo Petro, and center-right candidate Paloma Valencia. There are 14 candidates on the ballot.
Colombia’s presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, of the Defensores de la Patria party, speaks behind bulletproof glass during his closing campaign rally in Medellin, Colombia on May 24, 2026. Colombia will hold presidential elections on May 31. (Jaime Saldarriaga/AFP Via Getty Images)
Valencia’s campaign is backed by most of the nation’s traditional parties and by economists who are concerned about the growing levels of debt under the Petro administration and want Colombia to return to more orthodox policies, the Associated Press reported.
US PARTNERS WITH COLOMBIA TO TAKE ON IMMIGRATION USING BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGIES
Valencia told Fox News Digital, «As president of Colombia, we will restore a strategic, close, and trustworthy relationship with the United States, based on mutual respect and the defense of our national interests. We will strengthen cooperation in security, intelligence, military training, and the fight against transnational crime; areas in which the alliance between our two countries has been essential to Colombia’s stability. We will also work to ensure that Colombia plays an active role in the Shield of the Americas and contributes to regional leadership in defense and security. «
She added, «The United States will continue to be a key partner for economic growth, investment, and job creation, as well as a vital ally for the millions of Colombians who live there. Colombia will also stand alongside the United States in defending freedom and democracy across the hemisphere, supporting efforts to restore liberty in Cuba and to help Venezuela return to a democratic path. Our relationship will be defined by trust, cooperation, and the pursuit of tangible benefits for Colombia and its citizens.»
Paloma Valencia, presidential candidate for the Democratic Center party, during the Gran Consulta Por Colombia election night rally in Bogota, Colombia, on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Senator Paloma Valencia is now among the favorites to become Colombia’s next president after her landslide win in primaries on Sunday. (Nathalia Angarita/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Critics say leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, represents a continuation and potential expansion of the leftist policies associated with Petro. Cepeda supports dialogue with armed groups, rural reform and a reform of Colombia’s traditional security framework, placing greater emphasis on social investment.
COLOMBIA PRESIDENT DECREES EMERGENCY POWERS TO RESTORE ORDER IN COCA REGION WRACKED BY REBEL COMBAT
Camilo Guzmán, executive director of Libertank, told Fox News Digital that Sunday’s election will likely result in a runoff between Cepeda and De La Espriella. «Abelardo earned that ticket by reading the room better than anyone else in the opposition. He offered catharsis, speaking directly to Colombian voters’ indignation toward the traditional political class and the establishment.
«Where center-right Senator Paloma Valencia offered competence and continuity with the Uribe tradition, he said, De La Espriella’s message «is built on a hard line on security,» Guzman added. «Ending Petro’s failed ‘total peace’ policy that emboldened guerrillas and cartels, going after narco-trafficking with full force, and rebuilding the counter-narcotics alliance with Washington that Petro spent four years dismantling.«
Analysts say the outcome for the U.S. carries significant strategic weight. A De La Espriella administration could align more closely with Washington’s traditional counternarcotics priorities, potentially strengthening bilateral cooperation at a time when synthetic drug flows and organized crime networks are expanding across the hemisphere.
TRUMP-STYLE LAW-AND-ORDER CONSERVATIVE CLINCHES CHILE’S PRESIDENCY AS VIOLENT CRIME CRISIS RESHAPES NATION
Colombia’s presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda, of the Pacto Historico party, speaks to supporters during his final campaign rally in Barranquilla, Atlantico department, Colombia on May 24, 2026. (Vanessa Romero/AFP via Getty Images)
Beyond bilateral relations, the election is being closely watched as a potential inflection point for Latin America. A De La Espriella or Valencia win would reinforce the momentum of security-focused leadership seen in parts of the region, while a Cepeda presidency would signal continuity for Petro’s policies.
José Manuel Restrepo, candidate for vice president on the ticket with De La Espriella talked exclusively to Fox News Digital. «The relationship between Colombia and the United States needs to be recovered and rebuilt, and this starts with a sound security policy to combat drug trafficking. It will be crucial to move beyond the current deteriorated relationship, in which we lost the historic bilateral, bicameral, bipartisan, and multisectoral relationship with our primary trading and investment partner.»
Jose Manuel Restrepo, Colombia’s former finance minister and vice presidential candidate for the Defenders of the Homeland party, during a campaign rally in Bogota, Colombia, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Nathalia Angarita/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He continued, «To strengthen it, we must seize the opportunity for Colombia to become the United States’ best possible ally in the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. Leveraging this relationship with the United States, we can play a major role in investing in food, hygiene products and basic needs from Colombia to Venezuela. This would, among other things, give a new direction to the relationship with the United States, creating new opportunities that benefit Colombia…Under our administration, the relationship with the United States would be strengthened and revitalized.
Guzman noted that «De La Espriella’s anti-establishment posture is not a libertarian agenda. His economic program leans on price controls, interest-rate subsidies, and import substitution, closer to old-school Latin American populism than to Bukele’s pro-investment turn, and a world away from Milei’s free-market project. Whether the economic program that comes with it creates new instability south of the border is the open question.»
Supporters of Colombia’s presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda, of the Pacto Historico party, attend a campaign rally at Plaza Bolivar in Bogota on May 22, 2026. (Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images)
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Analyst, entrepreneur and son of a former president Jerónimo Uribe said the stakes could not be clearer in Sunday’s presidential race. «The elections in Colombia are not between the left and the right. They are between a communist model propped up by drug traffickers and a model that defends democracy and freedom,» he told Fox News Digital.
Representatives for Cepeda did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
colombia, latin america, national security, organized crime
Juan Luis Guerra cerrará el 8 de agosto los Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe Santo Domingo 2026 con Canto a la Patria, obra que compuso y donó al Estado dominicano en 2006. La clausura será a las 18:00 hora horas en la Arena Banreservas Virgilio Travieso Soto, tras 16 días de competencia.
El acto de cierre pondrá fin a los XXV Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe y servirá como despedida formal de Santo Domingo 2026. La organización indicó, citada por el medio dominicano El Día, que la noche evocará la gesta deportiva vivida en el país y recordará la participación de atletas de distintas naciones que compitieron por las medallas.
El coro Más que Vencedores formará parte de esa presentación, en un segmento concebido como tributo tanto a la nación como a quienes sostuvieron la producción de las ceremonias. La publicación señaló que el homenaje alcanzará al personal que trabajó en esos actos conmemorativos.
Alberto Zayas, productor general y director creativo de las ceremonias, definió la presencia del artista como un gesto nacional. “Recibir este regalo del maestro es un honor para todo el país. Cerrar el centenario de los Juegos con su voz será un momento inolvidable”.
José P. Monegro, presidente del Comité Organizador de Santo Domingo 2026, sostuvo que la participación del cantante refuerza el sentido que la organización quiso darle al evento desde su apertura. “Que el maestro Juan Luis Guerra esté en el cierre de estos Juegos confirma lo que han sido desde el primer día: una causa de país”.
Monegro añadió que la organización asumió esa confirmación como una muestra de respaldo institucional y simbólico. “El Comité Organizador recibe su gesto con profunda gratitud, y lo devuelve con el compromiso de una clausura a la altura de estos dieciséis días inolvidables”.
De acuerdo con el medio dominicano Listín Diario, Juan Luis Guerra llegará a esta clausura con una trayectoria de más de 4 décadas y decenas de premios internacionales. El medio subrayó que su carrera lo ha convertido en una de las figuras que más han proyectado el nombre de la República Dominicana en el exterior.
Juan Luis Guerra nació en Santo Domingo el 7 de junio de 1957 y construyó una carrera que, según la biografía publicada en su sitio oficial, convirtió al merengue y la bachata en repertorios de alcance internacional, con discos de alto impacto comercial, premios Grammy y Latin Grammy, giras mundiales y reconocimientos académicos y culturales.
Entre los datos más contundentes de ese recorrido figuran ventas de más de nueve millones de copias para Bachata Rosa, más de siete millones para la compilación Grandes Éxitos y una convocatoria superior a 400,000 personas en el cierre del Festival de Tenerife, en España. La publicación también ubica entre sus hitos un concierto agotado para más de 60,000 personas en el Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez de Santo Domingo.
El músico dominicano estudió Filosofía y Letras en la Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo y luego ingresó al Conservatorio Nacional de Música de la capital dominicana. Más tarde se trasladó a Boston para formarse en Berklee College of Music, donde obtuvo una licenciatura en Composición de Jazz y años después recibió un doctorado honoris causa.
De regreso en República Dominicana, grabó en 1984 su primer álbum, Soplando, junto a un grupo de músicos y vocalistas locales que después sería conocido como Juan Luis Guerra y 4.40.
Citado por la biografía oficial, el artista definió ese debut como “una fusión de merengue tradicional con jazz unido a una vocalización al estilo del grupo vocal estadounidense Manhattan Transfer”.
INTERNACIONAL
Israeli President Herzog calls antisemitism a ‘contamination of societies’ as hate crimes surge
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a stern warning about the global spread of antisemitism in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at his Jerusalem residence.
«Antisemitism is an age-old plague which should be dealt with by everybody, by all societies. It’s not an Israeli issue or only a Jewish issue,» he said.
«It’s a contamination of societies that starts with the Jews — never ends with them. It’s the most dangerous phenomena that has to be dealt with aggressively, with no mercy, with full adjudication, and most importantly, with education,» he added.
EXCLUSIVE: ISRAELI PRESIDENT HERZOG BLASTS MAMDANI, PRAISES TRUMP, SOUNDS ALARM ON IRAN
Growing antisemitism and other issues led President Isaac Herzog to launch Voice of the People in April 2023. (Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL for Fox News Digital)
Herzog’s warning comes as newly released New York City Police Department (NYPD) data show anti-Jewish incidents accounted for 56.9% of all confirmed hate crimes since the start of 2026, even though Jewish New Yorkers make up only about 10% of the city’s population.
Herzog pointed to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom he accused of spreading hate and compromising the lives of New Yorkers.
«Mamdani does not respect my nation’s right for self-determination — the Jewish people’s inherent right to have a nation of their own. And he’s basically spreading blasphemy, hate, antisemitic rhetoric. He should understand that he’s risking his own citizens, he’s risking their safety, well-being and life,» Herzog told Fox News Digital.
In a video posted on social media on July 21, Mamdani called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu «a war criminal» and «the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.»
Days later, Raul Morales, 51, allegedly yelled «Allahu Akbar» while stabbing two men on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, including one who was visibly identifiable as Jewish.
SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY YELLING ‘ALLAHU AKBAR,’ STABBING 2 MEN IN NYC ATTACK
Members of the Jewish community view the scene of an antisemitic arson attack in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London, on March 24, 2026. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
«We’ve seen the stabbing just a few days ago… just because somebody was dressed as an Orthodox Jew. This cannot be accepted in New York, which is a city that is dear to our heart, dear to Israelis, and dear to me personally,» Herzog said.
More broadly, a report released last month by the J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism found that 20 people were killed in antisemitic attacks across seven countries outside Israel in 2025, marking the deadliest year for such violence in the Jewish diaspora since 1994.
The J7 comprises Jewish communities in the United States, Australia, Canada, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.
People walk through Times Square during an anti-Israel rally on Oct. 4, 2025, in New York City. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
According to the report, more than 23,000 antisemitic incidents were recorded across the J7 countries last year, representing a 97% increase in violent attacks and a 136% rise in overall incidents compared with 2022.
«Of course, Israel is doing its best, but it has to be an effort with governments all over the world, law enforcement agencies, educational systems and Jewish communities, which we care about a lot,» Herzog said, in reference to confronting Jew-hatred.
Referencing a recent article by professor Niall Ferguson titled «The Death of History,» he said, «How much TikTok or the social networks distort the facts of history? They negate the worst and greatest horror of humankind, the Holocaust. And that’s why we have to stand up together and combat it,» he told Fox News Digital.
Herzog stressed that misinformation spread through distorted and superficial channels makes it easy to smear Israel on social media, but that such narratives do not reflect reality.
GERMAN OFFICIALS WARN ISLAMIST, FAR-LEFT RHETORIC DRIVING SPIKE IN ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS
Aerial view of Israel’s Mediterranean coastal city Tel Aviv. (Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)
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«[Israel] is the place where the Startup Nation flourishes. This is the place where great ideas are given to the world and contribute enormously to the world in so many great fields, from health to energy, to science, to agriculture, to food security, to what not. There’s a reason why Americans who visit our country, young Americans, fall in love with this country,» he said.
Growing antisemitism, coupled with polarization within and between Jewish communities and a weakening sense of Jewish identity in some places, led Herzog to launch Voice of the People in April 2023. The initiative brings together a council of 150 emerging leaders — one-third from Israel, one-third from the United States and the remainder from around the world.
Leaders are selected through an algorithm from thousands of candidates and serve rotating terms of roughly two years, developing ideas to address challenges facing the Jewish world.
The initiative held an in-person kickoff summit in March 2025 in Haifa, featuring Herzog and bringing together all council members, reflecting his belief in building the next generation of Jewish leadership, which he described as one of his main tasks.
«I’m overjoyed by the great ideas I see and feel, and I hope that around November we will have a new registration starting for the next slot, the next cohort, and I invite as many Jewish friends to register,» he said.
anti semitism, israel, zohran mamdani, new york city, middle east
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House GOP divisions are erupting on the midterm campaign trail as Republicans fight an uphill battle to keep control of Congress for the latter half of President Donald Trump’s term.
The infighting touched down in Florida on Wednesday, where two House Republicans are endorsing a primary opponent to incumbent Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., who is facing multiple investigations into his finances and allegations of domestic abuse, among other claims. Mills has denied any wrongdoing.
Reps. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., announced they’re backing former local TV anchor Ryan Elijah for Mills’ seat and said they «urge our fellow Republicans to join us in supporting him.»
«Ryan Elijah is an excellent candidate and will ensure victory for us in Florida 7,» Haridopolos told Fox News Digital. The Florida congressman will be in attendance at Mills’ debate against Elijah on Wednesday night and plans to sit next to the candidate’s wife.
GOP PARTY FISSURES EXPOSED IN BATTLE FOR S.C. SENATE SEAT TO REPLACE GRAHAM: ‘I DON’T LIKE HEARING THAT’
Representative Cory Mills, R-Fla., addresses the media outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on behalf of former President Donald Trump on May 14, 2024 in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Notably, President Donald Trump has endorsed Haridopolos, Luna and Mills for re-election — a fact Mills brought up in his response to Fox News Digital.
«I’m the only candidate in this race endorsed by President Donald Trump. Not once, not twice, but three times. I’m proud to have earned his trust because he knows I’ll continue fighting to advance the America First agenda and deliver results,» Mills said. «The fact is, my office has returned more than $107 million to the people of Florida’s 7th District, led Florida in constituent services, built one of the strongest conservative voting records in Congress, and flipped this district from blue to red,and kept it red. My record speaks for itself.»
It comes after another GOP source told Fox News Digital that some Florida Republicans were worried about the chances of keeping Mills’ seat if he won the primary on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report downgraded its projection for Republicans from «Solid R» to «Likely R» earlier this year. And with a Cook rating of R+5, Democrats could be within striking distance if Republicans see a tough enough cycle in November.
Mills is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to a source, though he has consistently insisted that he has not done anything wrong.
WATCH: CORY MILLS BLASTS DOJ PROBE AS ‘POLITICAL OP’ AHEAD OF FLORIDA PRIMARY
The Republican military veteran dismissed reports of a DOJ investigation as a «desperate lie» by his opponents and said on X late last month, «We are not aware of any DOJ investigation, nor has there been any confirmation of such investigation by DOJ or FBI, and would fully cooperate if there was one.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Mills for a response to Haridopolos and Luna’s endorsement.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna speaks during the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on border and immigration issues in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 7, 2023. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY)
Mills is one of several House Republicans whose allegations of misconduct are posing a headache for the GOP on the campaign trail.
Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., announced overnight that he would drop his re-election bid after an explosive report detailed sexual harassment accusations by two young female staffers. Edwards has denied those accusations but has admitted to at times making staff feel uncomfortable.
GOP LAWMAKER’S GIFTS, ‘EFFUSIVE AFFECTION’ TOWARD YOUNG STAFFERS DETAILED IN EXPLOSIVE ETHICS REPORT
And Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, has been accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife and former father-in-law, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and is facing pressure from congressional Republicans to drop out of his race as well. One House GOP source called the situation a «f—ing trainwreck» in comments to Fox News Digital.
Miller has denied any wrongdoing and asked the House Ethics Committee to initiate an investigation in order to clear his name. The former Trump aide has resisted calls to exit the race, insisting he will win in November and that the public accusations from his ex-wife are a bid to derail his political career.
All three House seats are on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) target list, meaning Democrats are pouring money and resources into those races.
One House Republican, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital that all three should drop out of their races, stating, «We must lead by example.»
politics, house of representatives politics, florida, republicans
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