Three main Colombian presidential candidates close campaigns one week before first round

MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Monday, May 25th 2026 - 04:24 UTC

The three main candidates: Paloma Valencia (Centro Democrático), Abelardo de la Espriella (Defensores de la Patria), and Iván Cepeda (Pacto Histórico) close campaigns in Colombia

The three main contenders to succeed President Gustavo Petro on Sunday closed their campaigns with massive political rallies in different cities across the country, one week before the first round of the presidential elections of 31 May. Leftist senator Iván Cepeda, of the ruling Pacto Histórico; far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, of the Defensores de la Patria movement; and right-wing senator Paloma Valencia, of the Centro Democrático, lead the polls, while around 10% of the electorate remains undecided one week before the vote. The eventual runoff is scheduled for 21 June.

Cepeda closed his campaign on Par Vial, one of the main avenues of the Caribbean city of Barranquilla, where he appeared before tens of thousands of supporters carrying flags of the Pacto Histórico and Colombia. “I close my campaign here with joy, as I am a son of the Caribbean through my maternal roots and my Lebanese ancestors,” said the ruling-coalition candidate, who leads the polls. In his speech, he labeled his rival De la Espriella a “fascist option” and promised a “second progressive government” centered on “social justice and equity,” with priority for the “excluded, forgotten, or discarded” sectors.