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Abelardo de la Espriella

Abelardo de la Espriella
De la Espriella in 2026.
Born
Abelardo de la Espriella Otero

(1978-07-31) July 31, 1978
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
EducationSergio Arboleda University (LLB)
Occupations
  • Businessman
  • lawyer
  • politician
Years active2002–present
Political partyIndependent (2002–present)
Other political
affiliations		National Salvation Movement[a]
Spouse
Ana Lucía Pineda
​
(m. 2008)​
Children4
Parents
  • Abelardo de la Espriella
  • María Eugenia Otero
FamilyDe la Espriella family

Abelardo de la Espriella (born July 31, 1978) is a Colombian and Italian lawyer, businessman and politician.[1][2]

Born in Bogotá, D.C., he studied law at Sergio Arboleda University. [3][4] He became famous for his defense of David Murcia during the D.M.G. Grupo Holding S.A. scandal. He specializes in administrative law, having earned his degree from Del Rosario University. In 2012 he obtained a master's degree in law from Nebrija University.[5][6][7]

Early life, family and career

De la Espriella was born in Bogotá, D.C., on July 31, 1978, to Abelardo de la Espriella and María Eugenia Otero de la Espriella (née Otero). His parents moved to Montería, Córdoba, when he was two years old. His father was a candidate for governor of Córdoba during the 1997 Colombian regional and municipal elections.[8] He attended La Salle School. After graduating, he moved to Bogotá, D.C., to study law at Sergio Arboleda University.

De la Espriella worked at the Initiatives for Peace Foundation (FIPAZ), an organization that sought to promote a referendum to recognize the political rights of all armed actors during the Colombian conflict and to amend the Constitution to prohibit the extradition of Colombians,[9] serving as an advisor to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia.[1][10]

From 2013 to 2019, De la Espriella was the lawyer for Alex Saab, who has been indicted in the United States on charges including money laundering and alleged operation as a financial agent for the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro.[11] Saab has described de la Espriella as a great lawyer and friend.[12]

In 2026, the Inter American Press Association and the Colombian Foundation for Press Freedom raised concerns about potential judicial harassment by De la Espriella when, in response to a column discussing his ties to Saab, he announced possible legal actions against the author.[13][14] Between 2008 and 2019, he was reportedly the complainant in 109 defamation and slander cases, many of which were dismissed. The Foundation for Press Freedom has described these cases as examples of judicial harassment.[15]

De la Espriella has expressed admiration for far-right leaders, such as Javier Milei.[1][2] Like Milei, he is supportive of economic neoliberalism.[1] He is also an admirer of Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele and has supported the bombing of "narco-terrorist camps" and fumigation of coca plantations with the help of US aircraft.[16]

Notes

  1. ^ De la Espriella is independent but received support from the National Salvation Movement.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Turan, Bawer (November 15, 2025). "Abelardo de la Espriella". Colombia Reports. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Stacey, Diego (November 9, 2025). "Colombian presidential hopeful Abelardo de la Espriella rallies thousands in Bogotá: 'The Tiger has awakened'". El País. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  3. ^ Cuitiva, Lina (October 25, 2025). "Abelardo de la Espriella (matagatos), el abogado que busca llegar a la presidencia de Colombia con propuestas como las de Milei y Bukele". Yahoo!. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  4. ^ Larco Bravo, Nadia (November 12, 2025). "¿Quién es Abelardo de la Espriella, el Bukele colombiano que podría derrotar a Petro?". Expreso. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  5. ^ López, María Fernanda (September 3, 2025). "¿Quién es Abelardo De La Espriella? El polémico abogado que quiere ser presidente". Minuto60. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  6. ^ "¿Quién es Abelardo Gabriel De La Espriella, candidato a la Presidencia?". IFM Noticias. October 9, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  7. ^ "Abelardo de la Espriella lanza su candidatura a las elecciones presidenciales de 2026". EFE. Portafolio. November 4, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  8. ^ "Estoy Invocando la Solidaridad". El Tiempo. October 13, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  9. ^ Coronell, Daniel (August 18, 2006). "El apoderado". Semana. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  10. ^ Falah, Natalia. "Abelardo De La Espriella's Controversial Proposal to Legalize 'Narco Money' Sparks Political Firestorm in Colombia". Colombia One. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  11. ^ León, Juanita (February 5, 2026). "Saab y De la Espriella: fechas que enredan la desmarcada del candidato". La Silla Vacía (in Spanish). Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  12. ^ ""Abelardo de la Espriella es un gran abogado y amigo": Alex Saab". El Espectador (in Spanish). April 4, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  13. ^ "The IAPA warns of the use of the judicial system to harass journalists in Colombia". Inter American Press Association. January 20, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  14. ^ Torrado, Santiago (January 22, 2026). "Abelardo de la Espriella redobla su ofensiva contra los periodistas que investigan su relación con Álex Saab". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  15. ^ "La FLIP advierte sobre el impacto del acoso judicial en el debate público". Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (in Spanish). January 17, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  16. ^ "Colombia election favorite vows US-backed strikes on narco camps". France 24. February 12, 2026. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
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