Colombia's Presidential Race: Fear of a Return to the Past

WHO:

AP News - Presidential candidates Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella are competing in Colombia's presidential race.

AP News - Blanca Nubia Monroy supports Iván Cepeda, while Sigifredo López backs Abelardo de la Espriella.

AP News - Elizabeth Dickinson is the Bogotá-based deputy Latin America director of the International Crisis Group.

AP News - Gustavo Petro is the current president of Colombia.

WHAT:

AP News - The election features two candidates with sharply different visions for peace in Colombia.

AP News - More than 10 million people, or one in five Colombians, have become victims of conflict according to a government registry.

AP News - Iván Cepeda has pledged to continue President Petro’s “total peace” agenda.

AP News - Abelardo de la Espriella has promised an all-out offensive on crime.

AP News - The International Red Cross reported that the impact of armed conflict on civilians in Colombia reached the worst point in a decade.

WHERE:

AP News - The events are taking place in Colombia, specifically in Bogotá and Cali.

AP News - Sigifredo López was kidnapped in western Colombia.

WHEN:

AP News - The presidential election is scheduled for a Sunday.

AP News - López was held captive from 2002 to 2009.

AP News - Monroy's son was killed in 2008.

AP News - The “false positives” scandal occurred largely between 2002 and 2008.

AP News - A presidential candidate was assassinated in June 2025.

WHY:

AP News - The fear of returning to a more violent past is a common sentiment among voters.

AP News - López supports de la Espriella because he believes “total peace” cannot be achieved by negotiating with criminals.

HOW:

AP News - Cepeda's strategy involves negotiating peace pacts with various criminal groups.

AP News - De la Espriella's approach echoes El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s war on gangs, which has drawn attention for reducing homicide rates but also for human rights abuses.

(UPDATED June 18, 2026 14:08 UTC)

In Colombia's presidential race, candidates Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella are presenting sharply contrasting visions for the country's future, with Cepeda promising to continue President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” agenda, while de la Espriella advocates for an aggressive crackdown on crime. The election, set for a Sunday, comes amid a backdrop of deep-seated fears among voters about a return to violence, as more than 10 million Colombians have been victims of conflict, and the International Red Cross reports that the impact of armed conflict on civilians has reached its worst point in a decade. Support for the candidates is divided, with Blanca Nubia Monroy backing Cepeda and Sigifredo López, a former kidnapping victim, supporting de la Espriella, as he believes that peace cannot be achieved through negotiations with criminals.