Ghost of far-right paramilitaries hovers over Colombia’s presidential runoff vote

Key Points:

• Colombia's presidential runoff features two candidates with personal histories linked to paramilitary groups: Iván Cepeda, a human rights activist whose father was killed by paramilitaries, and Abelardo de la Espriella, a lawyer who defended paramilitary leaders.
• The candidates represent opposing approaches to Colombia's surge in violence; De la Espriella advocates a hardline military response, while Cepeda supports continuing President Gustavo Petro’s "total peace" negotiations with armed groups.
• Paramilitary groups, originally created by rightwing interests to combat leftist guerrillas, have been responsible for widespread massacres, torture, and social cleansing, deeply affecting Colombian society and politics.
• De la Espriella faces allegations of recruiting for paramilitary groups and maintaining ties with criminal networks, which he denies, while Cepeda is accused by his opponent of having guerrilla alliances, though he denies any such connections.
• The election occurs amid Colombia's highest violence levels since the 2016 peace deal, with many citizens divided between desires for tougher security measures and concerns over the paramilitary-linked pasts of the candidates.