‘Contradictory visions’: What you need to know about Colombia’s presidential election | Election News

On Sunday, voters in the South American country of Colombia will face an election.

Four years ago, they elected the first leftist president in the modern history of the country. Gustavo Petro. Now, they have to decide whether to continue and push Peter to the left – or restore political freedom to power.

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Fourteen candidates will participate in the first presidential election in Colombia. This crowded field includes contenders from left, right and center, who have to face each other issues like security it is the price of life.

But Petro will not be among them: Colombian presidents only last four years.

The right wing is expected to have an advantage, especially if the race goes into the second round. Peter is struggling with low numbers, and voters have expressed frustration with that crime and violenceinfluenced by the war between the country which has lasted for 60 years.

But left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda surprised observers, topping the polls before the first round.

When will the election be held, who are the candidates? We look at those questions and more in this overview.

When is the election?

The first voting will take place on May 31, 2026.

Will there be a second vote?

A candidate may need to win more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round to avoid a runoff.

If no one person can meet that limit, a runoff will be held between the two finalists on June 21.

Why is this decision important?

In recent years, across Latin America, long-established left-wing governments have been defeated at the ballot box.

Last year alone, right-wing candidates were elected to replace left-wing presidents in Bolivia, Chile and Honduras.

But Colombia does not have a long history of leftist presidents. Peter was the first. This makes the race worth watching, according to Gimena Sanchez, Colombia expert at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a non-profit human rights organization.

“This is the first election to be held after the first left-wing presidency in Colombia’s 200-year history,” Sanchez said.

Colombia now stands at a crossroads. One of the key issues in the election is how to resolve the country’s internal conflict, which has forced more than 235,619 people from their homes in 2025.

Another 87,069 people have been displaced by the war, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Petro has embraced dialogue as a tool to end the conflict, which has seen government forces, terrorist networks, left-wing rebels and right-wing militias all fighting each other.

But the political right has encouraged a return to US-backed military tactics, according to Sanchez.

“The leaders fall into two camps: continuing with Petro’s left-wing government and a security strategy that focuses on negotiations with the armed forces, and right-wing candidates who want to return to the strong security model that Colombia had before,” said Sanchez.

“You have a vision against the world.”

Who is the one on the left?

Senator Ivan Cepeda emerged as a left-wing politician, running as head of the governing coalition, known as the Historic Pact.

Cepeda promised to continue with Petro’s platform, including social and economic policies aimed at reducing inequality.

He has also accepted Peter’s “Total Peace” strategy, which aims to end the civil war. negotiating with the armed forces and terrorist networks, as opposed to relying on the military alone.

The fight against state-sponsored violence has been a hallmark of Cepeda’s life and work.

His father, who was also a senator, is believed to have been killed by a government-sponsored militia. Over the years, Cepeda has also been embroiled in lawsuits accusing former President Alvaro Uribe of having ties to right-wing militias.

Who is on the right who is on the right?

Although Cepeda has been a standard bearer for the left, the political right has to contend with a fractured field of candidates.

Far right is Abelardo de la Espriella, a lawyer for the Defenders of the Homeland Party who has drawn comparisons with President Salvador Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei.

Like those leaders, de la Espriella has provided a radical vision for his country’s security. If elected, he said he would end negotiations with the military, bomb terrorist camps, and resume air traffic control. coca seedswhich produces substances that make cocaine.

Senator Paloma Valencia, candidate of the Democratic Center Party, is running as an alternative to de la Espriella. He has also promised a way to get tough on crime. His platform includes expanding the police and armed forces, cutting taxes and promoting pro-business policies in the economy.

Their election-time rivalry has been a frustrating one for Valencia and de la Espriella, who challenged each other to pave the way for a left-leaning election victory.

“There is a well-known right, established, represented by Valencia, and to the right of de la Espriella, who considers himself a foreigner,” said Sanchez.

Valencia, for his part, accused de la Espriella of being two-faced, defending criminals in his policies but promoting regular security on the campaign trail.

De la Espriella, meanwhile, criticized Valencia as a member of the country’s politics and criticized him in social media, saying that the presidential election “is not a sport”.

What do the votes say?

Polls often show Cepeda ahead of his rivals, with de la Espriella in second place and Valencia in third.

A May 24 poll from the National Consulting Center (CNC) and the publication Cambio reported that Cepeda drew 33.4 percent of voters, the most of any.

But de la Espriella was up by 30.9 percent. Valencia, meanwhile, trailed with 12.6 percent.

The same survey, however, suggests that Cepeda would struggle to win the championship against either of the two on the right, while de la Espriella scored nearly three points in the championship, and Valencia won.

Elected voters may have a larger role in deciding the outcome, however. A study cited by the Spanish newspaper El Pais estimates that unelected voters may account for about 28 percent of the electorate.

What are the front and center items?

Concerns about crime, safety and economic issues such as unemployment and affordability make the choice.

In a survey conducted by the Invamer company, the majority of voters – 37 percent – identified security as the biggest problem facing the country.

Basic needs and unemployment were second and third, with 17 percent and 16 percent respectively. 11 percent of voters, meanwhile, said that corruption is a serious problem.

The threat of violence has increased during the presidential campaign in the past year.

Two political workers and de la Espriella’s campaign was killed by gunmen on motorcycles earlier this month. And in June 2025, a presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay he was shot while leaving a campaign meeting. A 39-year-old man he died two months later his injuries.

Political violence is a major concern in Colombia, and all front-runners travel with heavy security.