Pressure Systems edition
Colombia's Megaprison Candidate Tests the Bukele Model
June 20, 2026
What this edition shows
The rise of Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia signals a shift toward celebrity-driven authoritarianism, where Trump-endorsed legal elites leverage public trauma to promise carceral expansion and institutional dismantling. This movement bypasses traditional party structures, replacing diplomatic mediation with a hard-right security doctrine that threatens to realign Andean geopolitics around punitive populist control.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 5 sources
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The End of Political Parties
They are hardly prepared for the new system.
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Will Colombia Elect Its Own Bukele?
Abelardo de la Espriella promises megaprisons and more if he wins the presidency.
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Iron Fist or Fragile Peace: Colombians Head to Polls in Stark Choice of Candidates
Millions of voters, deeply traumatized by a legacy of violence and political corruption, will head to the polls on Sunday to decide Colombia’s razor-thin presidential race between a progressive mediator and a far-right defense lawyer.
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Democracy’s next big test: could a Trump-endorsed US citizen become Colombia’s president?
On Sunday, voters in Colombia will choose their next president in a contest that could have implications far beyond the country’s borders. One of the leading candidates is Abelardo de la Espriella, a far-right celebrity lawyer who has been endorsed by US President Donald Trump and has pledged to tak…
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From outsider to president? Inside de la Espriella’s bid to lead Colombia
A political newcomer, de la Espriella has reached the last round of Colombia's presidential race. What would a win mean?