How Ivan Cepeda emerged a frontrunner in Colombia’s presidential election

'It volition not beryllium easy'

So far, Cepeda has offered fewer details astir however helium would modify the strategy.

But since the archetypal circular of voting, Cepeda has attempted to mean his level and region himself from Petro, successful an effort to tribunal centrist and undecided voters. He has, for example, grown much captious of the "Total Peace" plan.

In a caller interrogation with Caracol Radio, Cepeda said that, arsenic president, helium would garbage to negociate with equipped groups that onslaught the civilian colonisation and societal leaders.

"The [Total Peace] argumentation has had shortcomings, miscalculations and errors, and it volition person to beryllium reassessed," Cepeda said.

He has besides retreated from a arguable connection to alteration Colombia's constitution successful bid to enact societal reforms, an thought that Petro has pursued since 2024.

But truthful far, Cepeda’s efforts person resulted successful fewer governmental endorsements from centrist politicians.

Claudia Lopez, a centrist campaigner who finished 5th successful the archetypal circular of voting, has publically endorsed him, but her moving mate announced helium would backmost De La Espriella successful the run-off. Sergio Fajardo, a centrist campaigner who finished third, has declined to endorse either candidate.

"It has been hard for Cepeda due to the fact that [the displacement successful his platform] has enactment him somewhat astatine likelihood with President Petro’s rhetoric and positions, which dominated the first-round campaign,” said Basset.

Cepeda’s abrupt displacement whitethorn person travel “too precocious to look credible", helium added.

Ivan Cepeda addresses his supporters pursuing the archetypal circular of voting astatine his basal successful Tequendama Hotel successful Bogota connected May 31 [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera]

Basset besides noted that Cepeda's campy made fewer attempts to tribunal centrist politicians who had been captious of Petro's presidency earlier the archetypal circular of voting.

As a result, helium present has constricted options to broaden his support, with centrists wary of joining his campaign.

"There person been governmental differences implicit whether to physique coalitions with different governmental forces," Basset said. "Cepeda inherits Petro’s governmental base, but that basal unsocial is insufficient to triumph an election, and I deliberation the near realised that excessively late."

According to the governmental analyst, de la Espriella enters Sunday's run-off predetermination with the advantage, having succeeded successful uniting overmuch of the governmental close down his candidacy.

Paloma Valencia, a right-wing campaigner who finished 3rd successful the archetypal circular of voting, publically endorsed de la Espriella, with her supporters expected to displacement their enactment to him.

But Basset refuses to number Cepeda out. The left-wing campaigner is trailing de la Espriella successful the latest polls, but Cepeda could payment from a higher turnout successful municipality neighbourhoods and agrarian areas wherever the left's enactment remains strongest.

"Cepeda's vantage whitethorn prevarication successful the information that the near has a much effectual grassroots organisation than Abelardo de la Espriella has," Basset said.

"That means helium could inactive reverse the existent trend, but it volition not beryllium easy."