Colombians head to the polls on Sunday to choose their next president in a runoff election, pitting leftist lawmaker Ivan Cepeda against far-right criminal defense lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella. Over 41 million eligible voters will decide between the two candidates, who emerged from an 11-candidate field in the first round on May 31.

Both candidates frame their campaigns around preventing a return to widespread violence that has scarred Colombia in recent decades, but their proposed solutions sit at opposite ends of the political spectrum. De la Espriella, nicknamed "The Tiger," proposes a heavy-handed approach that has earned him the endorsement of US President Donald Trump, including building 10 mega-prisons emulating El Salvador's policies.

Cepeda promises to continue President Gustavo Petro's efforts, including dialogue with armed groups, though these efforts have largely failed. The election comes 10 years after Colombia signed a historic peace pact with FARC, but violence has since roared back, driven by drug trafficking. Last year, 14,780 homicides were recorded, the highest since at least 2015.

The candidates also offer differing solutions to the country's struggling health system, ballooning public debt, and entrenched corruption. Voters express concern over polarization and violence, hoping for acceptance of results regardless of the winner. The first round saw de la Espriella with 44% and Cepeda with 41%, with Petro casting doubt on the results without evidence.

Source: www.aljazeera.com