Thousands of supporters dressed in black shirts with a military-style aesthetic, Colombian flags waving to the rhythm of epic music, and a stage production loaded with patriotic symbols marked the presidential campaign closing rally of Abelardo De la Espriella this Wednesday, May 20, in Bogota.
The lawyer and far-right candidate turned the political event into a high-impact emotional and visual spectacle, with a format that openly recalled the large rallies of Donald Trump in the United States and other regional leaders such as Javier Milei in Argentina or Bukele in El Salvador: giant screens, fiery speeches, slogans against “the radical left” — including some insults from the host — and a narrative centered on security, nationalism, and rejection of the traditional political class.
The event, held before a crowd of supporters in the Colombian capital, showed a De la Espriella seeking to present himself as a strong, defiant, anti-establishment leader, appealing to a confrontational tone during much of his speech.
Amid applause, chants, cries of “president,” and sharp criticism of Gustavo Petro, the candidate insisted that Colombia needs a “firm hand” against crime and promised a break with the current political model.
His speech came in the final stretch of a campaign marked by polarization, attacks between candidates, and a media strategy based on provocation and constant viralization on social media.
Campaign closing rally for Abelardo De la Espriella in Colombia’s capital
Several hours before the event began, hundreds of buses from different regions started arriving at Lourdes Park in Bogota. The atmosphere had more elements of a concert than a traditional rally. Patriotic songs played, there were light shows, screens displaying images of the candidate, and constant messages about “recovering the homeland” and “saving Colombia.”
The event’s aesthetic was carefully aligned with the image De la Espriella has built throughout the campaign: a strong, irreverent leader willing to confront the political elites. The candidate appeared on stage amid applause and visual effects, walking slowly while greeting the crowd with theatrical gestures. During several moments of the event, the audience responded with nationalist slogans and messages against President Gustavo Petro and the Colombian left.
The tone clearly recalled Donald Trump’s campaigns as well as some elements of Javier Milei’s political style in Argentina. De la Espriella has built much of his electoral growth around that narrative of permanent confrontation, media spectacle, and emotionally intense speeches.
Political analysts have pointed out that the candidate turned the campaign into a highly effective “show” on social media, capable of shifting political debate toward provocation and polarization.
Shortly before De la Espriella appeared, several politicians involved in the candidate’s presidential campaign paraded through the stage area: Jose Manuel Restrepo, his vice-presidential running mate; Enrique Gomez, leader of the National Salvation party endorsing the candidacy; the party’s congressman and reservist German Rodriguez — who appeared in military clothing repeatedly making the salute popularized by his leader — and former senator Rodrigo Lara Restrepo, among others.
Security, weapons, and a ‘firm hand’ to ‘recover the homeland’
Security was the main focus of the speech. De la Espriella promised a full offensive against illegal armed groups and assured that, if he reaches the presidency, he will end what he called “permissiveness toward crime.”
In fact, the video introducing the candidate was an AI-generated montage recreating a supposed military council chaired by a De la Espriella wearing the presidential sash, simulating the neutralization — through death — of alias Ivan Mordisco and the capture of alias Calarca after precise military bombings that sparked cheers from the thousands gathered there.
After the images came more music and lights and a dazzling entrance by the candidate surrounded by enormous security measures who, from a closed enclosure with bulletproof glass, addressed the crowd. From there, the candidate once again defended controversial proposals such as increasing military presence in cities, tougher sentencing, and a policy of direct confrontation against drug trafficking organizations, including the construction of ten “mega-prisons” in the style of Bukele in El Salvador.
He also reiterated his rejection of the current peace processes and harshly questioned the “total peace” strategy promoted by the Petro government. According to him, Colombia needs to recover authority and restore respect for law enforcement.
During his speech, he again spoke about the possibility of easing restrictions on civilians carrying firearms under certain conditions, a proposal that has drawn strong criticism from political sectors and social organizations. The candidate insisted that “decent people” must have tools to defend themselves against crime.
His speech also included attacks against international organizations and promises to reduce the size of the state “by up to 40%,” as well as ending public contracts “for those who only collect money and contribute nothing to the state,” without specifying whom he was referring to, in order to allocate those resources to healthcare, education, and subsidies aimed at caregiving mothers.
Religion, family, patriotism, and social media
The campaign closing rally was also loaded with religious references and conservative messages, which were repeatedly chanted by the event’s hosts while those gathered patiently awaited the arrival of their political leader. There were moments of collective prayer and calls to defend “the traditional values of the Colombian family.”
It should be recalled that Abelardo De la Espriella completely rejects abortion, radical feminism, and what he considers an “ideological agenda” promoted by progressive sectors. “We are going to remove gender ideology from our schools,” he said at one point during his speech.
Likewise, during the event he spoke about recovering moral principles and promised a government based on authority, patriotism, and conservative values, something he has repeated throughout his entire campaign.
That discourse has been precisely one of the factors that has most mobilized conservative and religious sectors during the presidential campaign, very much in line with the staging of contemporary politics: filled with brief messages and widely disseminated through social media. In fact, influencers Vincent Ramos and Santiago Giraldo accompanied the event and broadcast the candidate’s campaign in full.
At the end of the rally, while epic music played and the screens displayed images of the Colombian flag, De la Espriella raised his arms and made one final promise to his supporters: “We are going to take Colombia back.” The crowd responded with shouts, flares, and chants in a carefully constructed finale designed to reinforce the image of strength and leadership that has defined his entire presidential campaign.
🚨en la CARA de PETRO y URIBE: Así se llena Lourdes en BOGOTÁ pic.twitter.com/u8BjWWFhDf
— Santiago Giraldo (@realsantig) May 21, 2026