(MENAFN- The Rio Times) Colombia's next presidential election is still months away, but one man has already blown up the script on the opposition side.

Abelardo De La Espriella, a criminal lawyer better known as a public“fixer” than as a politician, has surged into second place in national polls and forced the traditional right to decide whether to follow him or fight him.

Two recent surveys put prominent left-wing politician Senator Iván Cepeda ahead with just over 30% of voting intentions, but De La Espriella now scores in the mid-teens, while most other opposition (right) hopefuls struggle to reach 5%.

Inside Álvaro Uribe's movement, once the natural home of security-minded voters, its own pre-candidates barely reach 1%.

The breaking point came when veteran politician Miguel Uribe Londoño was expelled from Uribe's party after allegedly signalling support for De La Espriella.

He denies having switched sides, but the episode exposed something deeper: many in the old guard fear that if they resist the outsider, they will be wiped out; if they embrace him, they might lose control of their own project.

Who, then, is this newcomer reshaping the field? De La Espriella made his name defending powerful and controversial clients, including Uribe himself and Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab.


Colombia's Right Faces Its Toughest Choice As De La Espriella Surges
He campaigns as a tough-on-crime nationalist, promises to reverse the current government's security and economic course, and says he will restore full diplomatic relations with Israel.

Instead of relying on a party machine, he is collecting signatures and claims to have gathered more than four million.

Critics warn that his style is too personal, too aggressive and too focused on settling scores with the current leadership.

They point to polls suggesting Senator Cepeda would still beat him comfortably in a second round.

Supporters counter that no other opposition figure is anywhere near competitive - and that security, order and economic predictability must come before internal egos. For expats and foreign readers, this fight matters well beyond Colombia.

It will help decide whether one of Latin America's key economies stays on a more polarising, state-heavy path, or whether a law-and-order, market-friendly agenda manages to regroup and challenge it effectively.

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