MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Friday, May 29th 2026 - 23:09 UTC
The cross-spectrum diagnosis agrees on the gravity of the situation, but the causes divide the political spectrum
Colombia will hold on Sunday 31 May the first round of the presidential elections that will determine the succession of President Gustavo Petro for the 2026-2030 term, with an electoral roll of 41,287,084 voters and healthcare emerging as the electorate's main concern, according to opinion polls. The national health system is going through its most severe crisis in decades: pharmacies are denying medications, hospitals are closing services, and specialist appointments are indefinitely postponed. A possible runoff would be held on 21 June if none of the fourteen candidates surpasses 50% of the vote.
A survey by the Guarumo firm published in February placed healthcare as the country's most serious problem for 25% of citizens, above insecurity (15.9%), corruption (15.4%), and the cost of living (11.1%). A second survey by the Centro Nacional de Consultoría released in early May recorded that 37.1% consider that healthcare should be the main focus of the next president. Patient petitions, complaints, and claims before the Superintendency of Health rose from 915,000 in 2021 to 2.1 million in 2025, while tutela actions for violation of the right to healthcare grew from 92,000 to 313,000 in the same period, according to the Constitutional Court.
