Colombian presidential hopeful Abelardo de la Espriella rallies thousands in Bogotá: ‘The Tiger has awakened’

The far right has held a mass rally in Bogotá. The Movistar Arena hosted on Monday the Grand National Convention of Defenders of the Homeland, a gathering of 15,000 people in support of the presidential bid of Abelardo de la Espriella — a criminal lawyer running for president as an outsider, campaigning against what he calls the “radical left” of President Gustavo Petro.

El Tigre (“The Tiger”), as he calls himself, took the stage two and a half hours after the event began, following a lineup of Colombian and international figures from the far right, libertarian movements, several evangelical churches, and military veterans’ organizations. “Today begins the reconquest of Colombia,” declared the lawyer to a crowd chanting “Out with Petro” and “Steadfast for the homeland,” the campaign’s slogan.

Although his supporters — who call themselves “defenders of the homeland” — and De La Espriella himself deny that his campaign represents any particular ideology (they call it one of “extreme coherence”), the candidate has promoted positions that align point by point with the global far right: the defense of the traditional family; rejection of abortion, transgender people, and feminism; an “iron hand” for criminals in “real, real prisons”; fervent patriotism; free-market economics; a smaller state; and the protection of private property. The arena erupted at every denunciation of Petro and his government, and every mention or praise of right-wing former president Álvaro Uribe — a figure revered throughout the day.

De La Espriella began his speech by thanking the audience and saying he entered politics because of the “dark moment” Colombia is living through. “Three months ago, after a year and a half of reflection, I made the most important decision of my life: I left a peaceful life in Florence [Italy] and returned to my homeland to save and rebuild it. I said I would only go into politics if the country were in extreme danger — and God showed me that the time had come. This is not only a political battle but also a moral and spiritual one. Evil resides in the Casa de Nariño,” he declared, in his characteristically forceful tone, referring to the seat of government in Colombia.

The presidential hopeful, who plans to run in the May 2026 elections either through citizen signatures or with the backing of the right-wing National Salvation Movement, has also sought to emphasize the independence of his campaign.

“I have no bosses other than you — the true patriots of Colombia. That’s why this campaign doesn’t ask anyone for money; it’s self-financed. My candidacy is as independent as the condor on our national coat of arms, free from the yoke of the elites who sell our country to the highest bidder […]. The Tiger has awakened, and with his love, he is invincible,” he declared — after an opening act featuring a dancer dressed as a tiger, who mixed dance steps with boxer-like moves.

The 47-year-old lawyer’s popularity on social media (no voting-intention polls have been published since July due to legal restrictions) has soared. Tickets for Monday’s event sold out in just four days. The campaign highlighted that attendees had traveled from all corners of the country at their own expense.

A familiar figure in media and online spaces for his flashy legal defenses and provocative statements, De La Espriella — sporting a beard reminiscent of El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele — has said in several interviews that he admires Argentina’s Javier Milei and his proposals to shrink the state. Coincidence or not, Milei uses the image of a lion in his rallies, while De La Espriella has chosen the tiger as his own symbol.

De La Espriella’s arrival on stage generated great anticipation among the crowd. Before him, several of his allies — both Colombian and foreign — took the microphone. Ultra-conservative congressman Miguel Polo Polo, a constant presence on right-wing social media, declared that “Abelardo has the balls to bring terrorism to its knees, to end contract killings, extortion…” He was the first, but not the last, to call for restoring diplomatic and trade relations with Israel, which the Petro government severed. “Israel, Colombia blesses you. We are not enemies — we are friends,” he added to loud cheers, as Israeli flags waved among a sea of Colombian tricolors filling all three tiers of the packed arena.

Other national figures also took the stage. Former attorney general and evangelical leader Viviane Morales rejected what she called “the lukewarm labels” of being radical; Enrique Gómez, president of the National Salvation Movement and grandson of conservative president Laureano Gómez, called Petro “a bad father and a bad husband”; and right-wing congresswoman Lina Garrido highlighted women’s support for the campaign.

Among the international guests was Argentine far-right writer Agustín Laje, who appeared via video and argued that “Colombia must choose between two radically incompatible models” in 2026: “the socialism of poverty, hunger, and corruption [...] or the model of freedom,” which he said De La Espriella represents.

U.S. congresswoman María Elvira Salazar also appeared in a recorded message, addressing the strained relationship between the U.S. and Colombia. “The distance between Petro and Trump serves no one. It’s not good for Colombia’s economy or its political future. I hope Colombia rises to the place it deserves,” she said, emphasizing her friendship with the event’s main speaker.

Representing Spain’s far right was Alvise Pérez, a member of the European Parliament and founder of the party Se Acabó La Fiesta (The Party’s Over, SALF), which has gained traction among young voters and cut into the base of Vox, the larger party on that end of the spectrum. “You can’t imagine how grateful I am to God that the Colombian people are rising up against the worst tyrant,” he declared, referring to Petro. “Colombia needs security, because without security there is no freedom, and without freedom there is no country. Spaniards and Colombians remember: firm hand, big heart. That’s Uribe’s doctrine — a firm hand against crime. And that legacy now has someone to defend it,” he said, alluding to the former president, whose name drew the loudest applause throughout the event.

Several veterans’ organizations also joined the summit, arguing that under Petro’s government, attacks on soldiers and police officers have multiplied. Before a row of retired servicemen, the audience rose to recite the oración patria, a traditional prayer of support for Colombia’s armed forces. That was not the only moment of prayer. In addition to the repeated invocations of God by most of the speakers, the event’s host, Spanish journalist Eva Rey, called for a minute of silence for Colombians killed by armed groups such as the FARC and for the assassination of the right-wing presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay.

Like a multi-purpose show, the event also made room for entertainment. Comedians Juan Ricardo Lozano and César Corredor, performing as their well-known characters Alerta and Barbarita, lightened the mood with a few jokes while defending artists’ involvement in politics. Later, singer Maía performed the Spanish version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, another emotional high point for parts of the crowd.

By nightfall, the impeccably groomed De La Espriella took the stage once more, joined by his wife, Ana Lucía Pineda, and their four children, in a finale worthy of a pop star — complete with fireworks and music. “If we don’t want to be devoured, we must roar loudly. We are going to save Colombia. Long live the defenders of the homeland! Stand firm for the country!” he declared, ending with a military salute — the same image featured on his campaign billboards. The roar he unleashed before his followers will be tested when the long-awaited polls are released.

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