Colombia’s 2026 Presidential Election: A Battle Between Two Opposing Visions

On May 31, 2026, Colombian voters head to the polls for the first round of the presidential election. This is the first election after President Gustavo Petro—Colombia’s first leftist leader in modern history—completes his four-year term. Because Colombia’s Constitution limits presidents to a single term, Petro is not on the ballot.

Fourteen candidates from the left, right, and center are contesting. Polls suggest the right holds an advantage, especially if the race goes to a runoff. But leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda has surprised observers by consistently leading surveys ahead of election day.

Voting timeline

The first round takes place on May 31, 2026. Any candidate winning more than 50% of the vote wins outright. If not, a runoff is held on June 21 between the top two candidates.

What’s at stake

According to Gimena Sanchez, a Colombia expert at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the 2026 election is the first after Colombia’s first leftist government in 200 years. She said: “The leading candidates fall into two camps: those seeking to continue Petro’s leftist government with a security approach focused on negotiating with armed groups, and the right-wing camp that wants to return to the previous hardline security model. These are two completely opposing visions for the country.”

A central issue is how to address the six-decade-long internal conflict. In 2025, the conflict forced more than 235,619 people to flee their homes and affected 87,069 people through mass displacement, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Main leftist candidate

Senator Ivan Cepeda, head of the ruling Historic Pact coalition, pledges to continue Petro’s social and economic policies aimed at reducing inequality, while maintaining the “Total Peace” strategy—negotiating with armed groups and criminal networks rather than relying solely on force. Cepeda’s father, also a senator, is believed to have been assassinated by state-backed paramilitary forces. Cepeda himself was involved in a lawsuit accusing former President Alvaro Uribe of ties to right-wing paramilitaries.

Main right-wing candidates

The right is fragmented, with two prominent figures. Abelardo de la Espriella, a lawyer from the Defenders of the Homeland party, follows a far-right line and has been compared to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s President Javier Milei. He proposes ending negotiations with armed groups, bombing rebel camps, and aerial spraying of herbicides to eradicate coca plants.

Paloma Valencia, a senator from the Democratic Center party, is a more moderate option. She promises to bolster police and military forces, cut taxes, and promote pro-business policies. Valencia has criticized de la Espriella as “two-faced” for defending criminals in his legal career while calling for hardline security as a candidate. De la Espriella has dismissed Valencia as a member of the political establishment, saying she “is not playing children’s games.”

Poll results

A May 24 poll by the National Consulting Center (CNC) and Cambio magazine shows Cepeda leading with 33.4% voting intention, de la Espriella second with 30.9%, and Valencia third with 12.6%. However, surveys also indicate Cepeda would struggle in a runoff: de la Espriella leads by about three percentage points in a head-to-head match-up, while Valencia trails by only one point. Undecided voters, estimated at up to 28% of the electorate, could play a decisive role.

Key issues

According to an Invamer poll, security is the top concern for 37% of voters. Basic needs and unemployment rank second and third, at 17% and 16%, while corruption garners 11%.

Political violence is a serious worry. In early May 2026, two campaign workers for de la Espriella were murdered by gunmen on motorcycles. In June 2025, presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot as he left a rally and died from his injuries two months later. All leading candidates now travel with heavy security.