Colombians vote Sunday in the first round of the 2026 presidential election, with no candidate polling above 50% and a June 21, 2026 runoff projected. Contenders include Iván Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact, Abelardo De la Espriella as a conservative outsider, and Paloma Valencia of Álvaro Uribe’s Centro Democrático. The Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) recorded 565 acts of political violence since January 2025, including an assassination of a presidential hopeful, kidnappings, attacks on candidates and staff, vandalism of campaign offices, and death threats. Campaign issues also include economic discontent, Gustavo Petro’s polarized legacy, and tense U.S. diplomacy over anti-narcotics and security policy. Cepeda, a former ELN peace-dialogue participant and victims-of-state-crimes leader, emphasizes peace talks, truth and reconciliation, advancing Petro’s agrarian reforms, an energy transition to curb climate change, and education investment.
#colombia-politics #2026-presidential-election #political-violence #us-colombia-relations #economic-and-social-policy
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