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House Republican seeking re-election touts backing from Colombia's president
By Alex Nitzberg
Published October 13, 2026
Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., is touting an endorsement from Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella as she seeks re-election to Congress.
In a video that the lawmaker posted, the foreign leader, speaking in Spanish, referred to Salazar as his nation's "best friend" in America's Congress.
The foreign leader is a Colombian American citizen who owns property located in the U.S. lawmaker's congressional district, and he and his wife have previously given nearly $90,000 to Salazar, NBC News reported.
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Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., arrives for the House Republican Conference caucus meeting in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"And I receive with immense pride the support of my friend, President Abelardo de la Espriella," Salazar wrote in part of a Spanish-language post on X, which included the video of the foreign official supporting her.
"Representing thousands of Colombians in South Florida has made Colombia a cause I carry with me every day to Congress," she noted in the post. "Abelardo has in me a friend. Colombia, an ally. And Colombians, a steadfast voice in the United States Congress."
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Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella holds a press conference with the mayor of Bogota and newly appointed city manager Clara Lucia Sandoval in Bogota on Aug. 25, 2026. (Sebastian Barros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Salazar backed de la Espriella for election earlier this year.
The lawmaker, who is currently running for re-election, is facing Democratic challenger Eliott Rodriguez.
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Salazar has served in the House since early 2021.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/maria-elvira-salazar-colombia-president-endorsement