BOGOTÁ: Millions of Colombians cast their ballots on Sunday in crucial legislative elections and presidential primaries that are expected to shape the political landscape ahead of the upcoming presidential vote scheduled for May.
The nationwide vote served as an important prelude to the presidential race that will determine the successor to current President Gustavo Petro. Voters were tasked with electing 286 members of Congress—including 103 senators and 183 representatives—while also selecting candidates through several inter-party presidential primaries.
The most notable result came from conservative circles, where Senator Paloma Valencia emerged as the dominant winner of the right-wing Gran Consulta por Colombia primary. Valencia captured roughly 45.7% of the coalition vote, mobilizing more than 3.1 million supporters.
Her victory was largely driven by the strong organizational structure of the Centro Democrático party and the lingering political influence of former President Álvaro Uribe, suggesting a renewed resurgence of Colombia’s conservative opposition.
Meanwhile, participation in the centrist and left-leaning primaries was significantly lower. Former Bogotá mayor Claudia López secured the nomination for the centrist Consulta por las Soluciones, obtaining around 8.15% of the total primary votes. On the left, veteran political strategist Roy Barreras won the Frente por la Vida nomination with approximately 3.62%.
The elections also reshaped Colombia’s legislative branch for the 2026–2030 term, though the results point to a deeply divided Congress.
The left-wing Pacto Histórico coalition strengthened its standing, winning about 22% of the Senate vote and potentially expanding its representation to 25 seats, making it the largest single bloc.
At the same time, the Centro Democrático party reaffirmed its position as the main opposition force with roughly 15% of the vote, translating into an estimated 19 Senate seats.
Other seats are expected to be distributed among established parties such as the Liberal Party and Conservative Party, alongside emerging political groups like the Broad Front and National Salvation movement. The fragmented results mean that no single political party will control a clear majority, forcing the next president to rely on coalition-building and negotiations to pass major reforms.
In a surprising twist, former president Álvaro Uribe failed to secure a seat in the Senate. Uribe had strategically placed himself 25th on his party’s closed candidate list, hoping his popularity would attract votes for the entire party rather than guarantee his own return to the legislature. However, with projections indicating fewer than 20 seats for the party, the veteran conservative leader will remain outside Congress during the next term.
Despite the significance of the vote, voter turnout remained relatively low. According to Colombia’s electoral authority, participation reached 47.76%, meaning that fewer than half of the country’s 41.2 million eligible voters took part in the election.
While such turnout levels are consistent with past legislative contests, they highlight ongoing challenges in voter engagement as Colombia moves toward the decisive presidential election later this year.
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