Blab Politics
Colombias 2026 Presidential Race Divides Survivors of Decades-Long Conflict
On a Sunday that felt like a national crossroads, Colombia turned out to vote between Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda, a contest that analysts say is the country’s most polarized in years.
The stakes are steep for citizens who have lived through the 60‑year armed conflict that left more than 10 million victims and continues to shape politics. In the fray stand two survivors whose experiences illustrate the split.
Blanca Nubia Monroy, 67, lost her 19‑year‑old son in 2008 when Colombian soldiers carried out a “false‑positive” execution. The boy’s body was found in a clandestine grave in the northeast and identified by a black‑and‑white tattoo that Monroy now carries on her forearm. She backs Cepeda, a peace activist who champions President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” agenda.
Sigifredo López, 62, was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2002 while serving as a local assemblyman. He survived a seven‑year captivity that ended in 2009, during which he witnessed the massacre of 11 other lawmakers. López now supports de la Espriella, a lawyer who pledges an all‑out offensive on crime and the dismantling of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the court that has investigated the false‑positive scandal.
The conflict’s legacy is still visible. A government registry lists 6 402 civilians killed in false‑positive operations between 2002 and 2008. The JEP, created after the 2016 peace deal with FARC, has examined these cases, but de la Espriella argues the court should be abolished. Cepeda, by contrast, contends that negotiating with criminal groups—drug mafias, insurgents, and gangs—has largely failed and that the state must strengthen its security apparatus.
The election comes amid a surge in violence. The International Red Cross reported in May that civilian casualties had reached the worst level in a decade. In June 2025, a presidential candidate was assassinated, and the National Liberation Army (ELN) announced a temporary ceasefire to avoid interfering in the elections. Other criminal groups have not made similar commitments.
Political analysts note that polarization over how to address violence has “been brewing for decades.” The ELN’s ceasefire, the JEP’s investigations, and the debate over whether to negotiate with or militarily confront criminal actors all feed into a broader national debate about security and justice.
Monroy fears that de la Espriella’s hard‑line approach could revive the tactics used in the false‑positive scandal. She says, “God willing, this man doesn’t come to power, because ‘false positives’ will become a reality again.” López, meanwhile, worries that continuing the current strategy of negotiating with armed groups could lead to a repeat of the kidnapping and violence he endured.
The 2026 election follows the parliamentary vote held on 8 March 2026. It is the first presidential contest after the 2025 assassination and the first since the 2016 peace agreement, which ended formal hostilities with FARC but left other groups active.
As the campaign moves forward, voters face a stark choice: a candidate who seeks to negotiate with criminal actors and maintain the JEP, or one who promises a militarized crackdown and the dismantling of the peace tribunal. The outcome will shape Colombia’s approach to security, justice, and the long‑term healing of a nation still bearing the scars of war.
The next steps for the candidates are clear: de la Espriella will continue to push for a hard‑line security platform, while Cepeda will emphasize the expansion of the “total peace” framework. The election’s result will determine whether Colombia moves toward a more militarized state or continues to pursue negotiated settlements with armed groups.
The stakes are steep for citizens who have lived through the 60‑year armed conflict that left more than 10 million victims and continues to shape politics. In the fray stand two survivors whose experiences illustrate the split.
Blanca Nubia Monroy, 67, lost her 19‑year‑old son in 2008 when Colombian soldiers carried out a “false‑positive” execution. The boy’s body was found in a clandestine grave in the northeast and identified by a black‑and‑white tattoo that Monroy now carries on her forearm. She backs Cepeda, a peace activist who champions President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” agenda.
Sigifredo López, 62, was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2002 while serving as a local assemblyman. He survived a seven‑year captivity that ended in 2009, during which he witnessed the massacre of 11 other lawmakers. López now supports de la Espriella, a lawyer who pledges an all‑out offensive on crime and the dismantling of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the court that has investigated the false‑positive scandal.
The conflict’s legacy is still visible. A government registry lists 6 402 civilians killed in false‑positive operations between 2002 and 2008. The JEP, created after the 2016 peace deal with FARC, has examined these cases, but de la Espriella argues the court should be abolished. Cepeda, by contrast, contends that negotiating with criminal groups—drug mafias, insurgents, and gangs—has largely failed and that the state must strengthen its security apparatus.
The election comes amid a surge in violence. The International Red Cross reported in May that civilian casualties had reached the worst level in a decade. In June 2025, a presidential candidate was assassinated, and the National Liberation Army (ELN) announced a temporary ceasefire to avoid interfering in the elections. Other criminal groups have not made similar commitments.
Political analysts note that polarization over how to address violence has “been brewing for decades.” The ELN’s ceasefire, the JEP’s investigations, and the debate over whether to negotiate with or militarily confront criminal actors all feed into a broader national debate about security and justice.
Monroy fears that de la Espriella’s hard‑line approach could revive the tactics used in the false‑positive scandal. She says, “God willing, this man doesn’t come to power, because ‘false positives’ will become a reality again.” López, meanwhile, worries that continuing the current strategy of negotiating with armed groups could lead to a repeat of the kidnapping and violence he endured.
The 2026 election follows the parliamentary vote held on 8 March 2026. It is the first presidential contest after the 2025 assassination and the first since the 2016 peace agreement, which ended formal hostilities with FARC but left other groups active.
As the campaign moves forward, voters face a stark choice: a candidate who seeks to negotiate with criminal actors and maintain the JEP, or one who promises a militarized crackdown and the dismantling of the peace tribunal. The outcome will shape Colombia’s approach to security, justice, and the long‑term healing of a nation still bearing the scars of war.
The next steps for the candidates are clear: de la Espriella will continue to push for a hard‑line security platform, while Cepeda will emphasize the expansion of the “total peace” framework. The election’s result will determine whether Colombia moves toward a more militarized state or continues to pursue negotiated settlements with armed groups.
