June 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing lawyer, who will face off against leftist senator Ivan Cepeda in a runoff election this month.
"The results of this Election are very important to the future of Colombia and its relationship to the United States," Trump said in a post on social media.
De la Espriella and Cepeda will head to a June presidential runoff after a tight first-round vote. De la Espriella, who has never held elected office, garnered nearly 44% of the votes, while Cepeda, a long-time senator and activist, garnered under 41%.
De la Espriella's personal style and policy proposals - including tough rhetoric against illegal armed groups and the promise to build 10 megaprisons - have drawn comparisons to El Salvador's Nayib Bukele.
"The United States plays a crucial role in combating crime and narco-terrorism and in finally freeing Colombia from so much pain and violence," De la Espriella said in a video interview shared on social media, adding that he and Trump "share values and principles in defense of democracy, in defense of freedom and in defense of the rule of law."
Leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has had a tumultuous relationship with the American leader, criticized Trump's endorsement of right-wing de la Espriella in a post on social media on Tuesday night.
"When one country interferes in another country’s decisions, freedom dies," Petro said.
(Reporting by Christian Martinez and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
