Abelardo De La Espriella, the Trump-backed candidate for President of Colombia, has declared victory over a candidate backed by the outgoing leftist president.

He is leading by less than one percent of the vote against Ivan Cepeda, with nearly all ballot boxes counted, many which were filled out by expats living in America.

Cepeda was supported by current President Gustavo Petro, who feuded with Trump earlier this year.  

De La Espriella said he had spoken with Trump and that the President offered his congratulations for his win in the presidential race.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment.  

Cepeda has said he would wait for the required verification of ballots from each polling station before recognizing final results.

He said while he recognized the initial vote count, he would wait for the final results of the 'escrutinio' — a formal legal check of all the ballots.

That process normally takes a few days.

After this check is done, he said, he will recognize the official result that comes out of it.

He added that his campaign is challenging results from some 33,000 ballot boxes.

The crowds can be heard chanting 'Sí, se puede,' meaning 'yes, we can.'

Outgoing President Petro has been posting on X.

He said that, given the initial vote count is so close, a winner could not be declared yet.

Petro said an 'escrutinio' — a formal legal check of all the ballots — would determine the winner. The process normally takes a few days.

The National Electoral Council makes the final declaration of who has won the election. With almost all the votes counted, De La Espriella leads Cepeda by less than one percentage point.

He even went on to suggest Israel was interfering with the vote count. 

The options before voters were business owner and lawyer de la Espriella and Cepeda, a lawmaker and heir to the political movement of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, the nation's first leftist leader. 

The two defeated nine other contenders in a May 31 vote.

Both pitched strategies that they said will prevent the South American country from experiencing the nonstop merciless violence, such as car bombs, kidnappings, disappearances and forced displacements, that Colombians lived with in previous decades. 

De la Espriella proposed a heavy-handed approach that earned him the endorsement  Trump. 

Trump endorsed De La ⁠Espriella earlier this week.

'The results of this Election are very important to the ⁠future of Colombia and its relationship to ⁠the United States,' Trump said in a Truth social post.

Cepeda promised to continue Petro's efforts, including attempts at establishing dialogue with multiple illegal armed groups even though those efforts have largely failed.

Colombian flags, waved from cars, and soccer jerseys dotted polling stations and surrounding affluent neighborhoods of Bogotá. 

The jersey, popular due to the World Cup, has been used as a campaign symbol by de la Espriella and defended in court after Cepeda criticized its use.

In the first round, Cepeda earned 41% of the vote, while de la Espriella garnered 44%, according to official results. 

Petro, without evidence, sowed doubts in the results after Cepeda, who had consistently lead polls ahead of the May vote, did not win outright and even finished behind de la Espriella.

Petro reiterated his allegations on Sunday.