India, June 2 -- Bombastic pro-Trump lawyer Aberaldo de la Espriella pulled ahead as a leader in Colombia's race for the presidency in the first round of elections over the weekend, capitalising on a growing appetite for heavy-handed crackdowns on criminal groups across Latin America.

But the second-place finisher, progressive senator Ivan Cepeda, and his ally, President Gustavo Petro, questioned the results of the election Sunday night without providing evidence.

De la Espriella rapidly gained traction in the lead-up to Sunday's election, winning nearly 44 per cent of the vote, and surpassing progressive senator Ivan Cepeda, who had consistently led polling throughout the campaign and won less than 41 per cent of the vote. The two are ...