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A Trump-backed political outsider appears to be headed to the presidency in Colombia
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but his narrow victory is already triggering protests and expected legal challenges
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Violent demonstrations broke out across Colombia after preliminary results showed conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella with a slim lead in the presidential runoff
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The result is expected to face challenges from allies of the current government in the days ahead
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De La Espriera has never held elected office. The dual U.S.-Colombian citizen ran on a tough-on-crime platform
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and has promised to build 10 mega prisons modeled after El Salvador's notorious CICOT facility
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President Trump, who endorsed him earlier this month, celebrated the result on social media
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio also praised the outcome, saying the Trump administration looks forward to working with De La Espriera's government if the result stands
