{"id":153654,"date":"2026-06-28T05:16:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T05:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/?p=153654"},"modified":"2026-06-28T05:16:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T05:16:03","slug":"how-the-world-cup-became-a-victory-lap-for-trump-ally-el-tigre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/?p=153654","title":{"rendered":"How the World Cup became a victory lap for Trump ally El Tigre"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: Politics<\/p>\n

MIAMI \u2014 Colombia’s World Cup run has become a celebration of more than just its national team: For many fans, it’s also a victory lap for the country’s Trump-backed president-elect.<\/p>\n

Political rookie Abelardo de la Espriella \u2014 a right-wing former defense attorney and businessman who calls himself \u201cEl Tigre\u201d \u2014 narrowly saw off a left-wing senator last weekend as Colombia swung from far-left to hard-right leadership. De la Espriella ran for president on a tough law-and-order platform, vowing to end outgoing left-wing President Gustavo Petro\u2019s attempts to establish dialogue with armed groups. He also wants to build mega-prisons, emulating those of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, another Trump favorite in Latin America.<\/p>\n

Fans who POLITICO spoke with outside the stadium in Miami on Saturday evening before a key game against Portugal were insistent that de la Espriella is going to make Colombia great again.<\/p>\n

With de la Espriella\u2019s victory, \u201cThere is no more corruption, there is no more guerrilla, there is security \u2026 it\u2019s gonna be great,\u201d said Hugo, a 62-year-old who lives in Miami but is originally from the Colombian capital Bogot\u00e1. \u201cJust give him one year, and you will see the new Colombia,\u201d added Alonso, 42, originally from Ibagu\u00e9, who disputed that the election was as close (around one percentage point) as the official results showed \u2014 and said a combination of Trump and de la Espriella would be great for Colombia.<\/p>\n

Colombia\u2019s brilliant-yellow soccer jersey, ubiquitous in downtown Miami this week, also became a key flashpoint on the campaign trail, as de la Espriella \u2014 running to restore security, shrink the state and promote economic growth through deregulation \u2014 clothed himself in the kit.<\/p>\n

In the sunshine outside Miami\u2019s World Cup stadium, Juan, from Cartagena, said he liked de la Espriella wearing the soccer jersey because \u201cit shows his whole campaign is about patriotism and to save the country, to give hope to the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Bogot\u00e1 judge banned de la Espriella<\/a> and his movement, Defensores de la Patria (Defenders of the Homeland), from using or displaying the jersey for his electoral campaign, and the left-wing candidate, Iv\u00e1n Cepeda, said, \u201cThe Colombian national team belongs to all Colombians. Its use for electoral, personal, and ideological purposes is a clearly opportunistic act, the legal implications of which must be examined.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to a post-match question from POLITICO about the president-elect wearing the shirt and backing the team, Colombian coach N\u00e9stor Lorenzo said, \u201cFootball is played in a very passionate way in South America. I think that all the presidents, the South American countries, live in that passion. It is a way for us to identify, beyond the flag, the shirt that represents the most beautiful sport of all. The president wants to show, surely, that he is a real citizen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only one yellow-clad supporter showed any reticence about de la Espriella, shaking his head and saying \u201cit\u2019s crazy\u201d what\u2019s happening in Colombia, before declining to talk more about politics or provide his name.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration has embraced de la Espriella. Trump praised him as a “Smart, Strong, and Tough Leader.” At the game in Miami on Saturday evening, two senior U.S. officials \u2014 Secretary of State Marco Rubio and FBI Director Kash Patel \u2014 were in attendance, flanking FIFA President Gianni Infantino.<\/p>\n

Last time Colombia played at the World Cup in the United States, it all ended in tragedy.<\/p>\n

Defender Andr\u00e9s Escobar scored an own goal against the U.S. at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California \u2014 then was shot dead outside a nightclub after returning to Colombia, a country still grappling with violence involving guerrilla groups and criminal organizations.<\/p>\n

The dark-horse national team is performing considerably better in 2026 than in 1994, progressing easily to the second round. But political turmoil endures at home, where the bitterly fought election campaign \u2014 that came down to a June 21 runoff between de la Espriella and Cepeda \u2014 saw an assassination, bombings and kidnappings.<\/p>\n

That specter of violence \u2014 even soccer-linked violence \u2014 is rarely far away in Colombia. The father of star soccer player Luis D\u00edaz was kidnapped in late 2023 by far-left guerrillas, and only freed after 13 days.<\/p>\n

As Colombia celebrated what it erroneously thought was a late winner against Portugal, the live broadcast cut to a jubilant supporter, cheering and wearing a red Defensores de la Patria hat.<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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