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Colombia’s presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, of the Salvadores de la Patria movement, gestures as he speaks to supporters behind bulletproof glass after a quick count of votes in the presidential election at the Ventana al Mundo monument in Barranquilla, Colombia, on May 31, 2026. The Colombian Supreme Court of Justice suspended on June 12, 2026 a lower court’s ruling that had banned far-right presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella from using national symbols and his signature slogan, “Firm for the homeland”. The 47-year-old lawyer often uses the military salute of the armed forces and national insignia at political rallies, which are filled with Colombian flags and national football team shirts. Colombia will hold the runoff presidential election on June 21. (AFP/File picture)
Colombia’s Supreme Court on Friday suspended a lower court’s decision to ban hard-right presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella from campaigning with national symbols, including his own slogan.
De la Espriella, who will face leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda in a June 21 runoff, has campaigned on a pledge to crack down on crime and get tough on the country’s myriad armed groups.
One court had blocked the wealthy 47-year-old lawyer from using the national football jersey for political gain.
Another had prohibited his use of a characteristic military salute, the national flag, his slogan “firm for the homeland” and party name “defenders of the homeland” throughout his campaign, deeming all of them national symbols.
But on Friday, the Supreme Court ordered that the second ban be “suspended with immediate effect” while it reviews an appeal filed by the right-wing candidate.
De la Espriella had already stated his intention to defy both rulings.
“They basically want to ban our entire campaign,” he posted on X earlier this week.
A Bogota judge on Thursday revoked the first ruling related to the jersey, citing an alleged “lack of clarity.”
Cepeda had accused his hard-right rival of “stealing” and appropriating the garment, just as Brazil’s former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro did with his country’s kit.
Colombia is enduring the worst wave of violence it has seen this decade.
While Cepeda wants to pursue dialogue with armed groups, De la Espriella favors a tough crackdown instead.
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