‘Opposite visions’: What to know about Colombia’s presidential election

On Sunday, voters successful the South American state of Colombia are facing a choice.

Four years ago, they elected the archetypal left-wing president successful the country’s modern history, Gustavo Petro. Now, they indispensable determine whether to proceed with Petro’s leftist propulsion — oregon reconstruct the governmental close to power.

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Fourteen candidates volition beryllium connected the ballot for the archetypal circular of voting successful Colombia’s statesmanlike election.  The packed tract includes contenders from the left, close and centre, who are slated to look disconnected implicit issues similar security and the outgo of living.

But Petro volition not beryllium among them: Presidents successful Colombia are constricted to a azygous four-year term.

The close helping is expected to person the advantage, peculiarly if the contention proceeds to a 2nd round. Petro is struggling with debased canvass numbers, and voters person expressed vexation with crime and violence, driven successful portion by the country’s six-decade-long interior conflict.

But leftist campaigner Ivan Cepeda has amazed observers, consistently placing astatine the apical of the polls up of the archetypal round.

When is the election, who are the candidates, and which issues are apical of caput for voters? We look astatine those questions and much successful this little explainer.

When is the election?

The archetypal circular of voting is acceptable to instrumentality spot connected May 31, 2026.

Will determination beryllium a 2nd circular of voting?

A campaigner would request to triumph much than 50 percent of the ballot successful the archetypal circular to debar a run-off.

If nary azygous campaigner meets that threshold, a run-off volition beryllium held betwixt the apical 2 finishers connected June 21.

Why is this predetermination important?

In caller years, crossed Latin America, long-entrenched left-wing governments person met decision astatine the ballot box.

Last twelvemonth alone, right-wing candidates person been elected to regenerate left-wing presidents successful Bolivia, Chile and Honduras.

But Colombia does not person a agelong past of left-wing presidents. Petro was the first. That makes this contention 1 to watch, according to Gimena Sanchez, a Colombia adept astatine the Washington Office connected Latin America (WOLA), a quality rights nonprofit.

“This is the archetypal predetermination to beryllium held aft the first-ever leftist medication successful Colombia’s 200-year history,” Sanchez explained.

Colombia present stands astatine a fork successful the road. One of the ascendant issues successful the predetermination is however to resoluteness the country’s interior conflict, which forced much than 235,619 individuals from their homes successful 2025.

Another 87,069 radical were caught up successful wide displacement events owed to the fighting, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Petro has embraced dialog arsenic a instrumentality to extremity the conflict, which has seen authorities forces, transgression networks, left-wing rebels and right-wing paramilitaries each battling 1 another.

But the governmental close has advocated a instrumentality to the much militarised attack backed by the United States, according to Sanchez.

“The starring candidates autumn into 2 camps: continuity with the leftist authorities of Petro and an attack to information that focuses connected negotiations with equipped groups, and right-wing candidates who precise overmuch privation to spell backmost to a hardline information exemplary that Colombia had successful the past,” Sanchez said.

“You person polar other visions for the country.”

Who is the main campaigner connected the left?

Senator Ivan Cepeda has emerged arsenic the superior campaigner of the governmental left, moving arsenic the caput of the governing coalition, known arsenic Historic Pact.

Cepeda has mostly pledged continuity with Petro’s platform, including societal and economical policies meant to trim inequality.

He has besides embraced Petro’s “Total Peace” approach, which aims to resoluteness the country’s interior warring by negotiating with equipped groups and transgression networks, arsenic opposed to solely relying connected subject force.

Confronting state-backed unit has go a hallmark of Cepeda’s beingness and career.

His father, who was besides a senator, is believed to person been assassinated by a government-backed paramilitary. For years, Cepeda was besides embroiled successful a ineligible conflict for accusing erstwhile President Alvaro Uribe of connections to right-wing paramilitaries.

Presidential campaigner Ivan Cepeda speaks to supporters during his last run rally successful Barranquilla, Colombia, connected May 24 [Vanessa Romero/AFP]

Who are the main candidates connected the right?

While Cepeda has go the standard-bearer for the left, the governmental close has had to contend with a much fractured tract of candidates.

Running connected the acold close is Abelardo de la Espriella, a lawyer for the Defenders of the Homeland Party who has generated comparisons with Salvadoran President Salvador Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei.

Like those leaders, de la Espriella has offered a hardline imaginativeness for his country’s security. If elected, helium says helium would extremity negotiations with equipped groups, weaponry rebel camps, and resume the aerial fumigation of coca ⁠crops, which nutrient the earthy worldly for cocaine.

Senator Paloma Valencia, a campaigner with the Democratic Centre Party, is moving arsenic a much mean alternate to de la Espriella. She excessively has promised a stricter attack to crime. Her level involves expanding the constabulary and equipped forces, portion cutting taxes and promoting pro-business policies successful the economical realm.

Their election-season contention has go a root of acrimony for Valencia and de la Espriella, who person accused each different of paving the mode for a leftist predetermination victory.

“There is simply a much familiar, constitution right, represented by Valencia, and a acold close successful the signifier of de la Espriella, who pitches himself arsenic an outsider,” said Sanchez.

Valencia, for her part, has criticised de la Espriella arsenic two-faced, defending criminals successful his ineligible signifier but advocating for tighter information connected the run trail.

De la Espriella, meanwhile, has dismissed Valencia arsenic a subordinate of the country’s governmental constitution and chided her successful a societal media post, stating that the statesmanlike predetermination is “not for small games”.

Paloma Valencia of the Democratic Centre Party speaks to supporters during her last run rally successful Bogota connected May 24 [Raul Arboleda/AFP]

What are the polls saying?

Polls mostly amusement Cepeda up of his rivals, with de la Espriella successful 2nd spot and Valencia successful third.

A May 24 canvass from the National Consulting Centre (CNC) and the work Cambio suggested that Cepeda had drawn 33.4 percent of elector support, the astir of immoderate candidate.

But de la Espriella was connected the upswing with 30.9 percent. Valencia, meanwhile, trailed with 12.6 percent.

The aforesaid surveys, however, suggest that Cepeda would conflict to triumph a run-off against either of the 2 right-wing candidates, with de la Espriella eking retired astir 3 points successful a head-to-head contest, and Valencia coming wrong a percent constituent of victory.

Undecided voters could play a cardinal relation successful deciding the outcome, though. An investigation cited by the Spanish insubstantial El Pais estimates that undecided voters could relationship for arsenic overmuch arsenic 28 percent of the electorate.

Presidential campaigner Abelardo de la Espriella, of the Defensores de la Patria party, speaks down bulletproof solid during his closing run rally successful Medellin, Colombia, connected May 24, 2026 [Jaime Saldarriaga/AFP]

Which issues are beforehand and centre?

Concerns implicit crime, information and economical issues similar unemployment and affordability person dominated the election.

In a canvass from the steadfast Invamer, the highest proportionality of voters — 37 percent — identified information arsenic the apical contented facing the country.

Basic needs and unemployment ranked 2nd and third, with 17 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Eleven percent of voters, meanwhile, named corruption arsenic a starring concern.

The menace of unit has lingered implicit the statesmanlike run implicit the past year.

Two political staffers with de la Espriella’s run were killed by gunmen connected motorbikes earlier this month. And successful June 2025, statesmanlike campaigner Miguel Uribe Turbay was changeable portion leaving a run rally. The 39-year-old died 2 months later from his injuries.

Political unit is simply a superior interest successful Colombia, and each of the frontrunners successful the contention question with dense security.