Far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella leads in first round of Colombian presidential election

The 47-year-old lawyer, virtually unknown to the public just a few months ago, surprised observers by outpacing left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda, who had been the clear favorite in all the polls.

Outgoing left-wing president Gustavo Petro refused on Sunday to recognize the results, alleging fraud without evidence. ...