The division within Colombia’s right wing continues following the second meeting of presidential pre-candidates from the Democratic Center party ahead of next year’s elections. Senator Miguel Uribe was not invited to this gathering, highlighting internal disagreements within the party led by former President Alvaro Uribe.
Beyond Vicky Davila, a right-wing figure seeking an independent candidacy without political party support, the Democratic Center has failed to reach the necessary consensus to confidently compete in the 2026 elections.
Congress members Paola Holguin, Andres Guerra, Paloma Valencia, and Maria Fernanda Cabal held their second meeting to discuss policy proposals for the elections without inviting fellow senator and party pre-candidate Miguel Uribe.
Disunity persists within Colombia’s Democratic Center party
Despite calls for unity from Democratic Center party leader and former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe (2002–2010), internal divisions continue to overshadow preliminary efforts and meetings among potential candidates aiming to succeed Gustavo Petro as the country’s next president in next year’s elections.
Miguel Uribe, a current senator for the party, has not participated in policy meetings with other pre-candidates, underscoring apparent distrust toward the youngest figure among Colombia’s Uribist right-wing hopefuls.
Disagreements with Uribe reportedly stem from the high costs of his pre-campaign activities, which he has promoted for months on social media, as well as meetings in Bogota and Medellin with business leaders to secure support for his presidential bid.
Although Miguel Uribe insists his actions comply with the law and rely on personal funds, family donations, and contributions from political allies, his decisions have drawn criticism within the Democratic Center.
Other pre-candidates view his tactics as unfair competition that deviates from party norms. The Democratic Center is organizing pre-candidate forums nationwide and has yet to finalize its selection mechanism.
“One must respect the party and set an example of austerity. We cannot do what we criticize in other campaigns. The money must be respected,” said Senator María Fernanda Cabal, referencing Uribe’s campaign spending.
Notably, Paola Holguin, Andres Guerra, Paloma Valencia, and Maria Fernanda Cabal—the four other Democratic Center pre-candidates—met over a week ago for the first time at Senator Valencia’s home in Bogota. During that meeting, they confirmed Miguel Uribe had not been invited.
Who is Miguel Uribe, the youngest Democratic Center pre-candidate for Colombia’s 2026 elections?
Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, has served as a senator for three years. He emerged as a prominent figure within Uribism, the right-wing political movement embodied by former President Alvaro Uribe, despite sharing no familial ties with the ex-leader.
Grandson of former President Julio Cesar Turbay Ayala (1978–1982) and son of Diana Turbay, a journalist killed during a rescue operation in 1991, Miguel Uribe comes from a family deeply rooted in Colombia’s political history.
Despite his liberal background, he shifted to the right upon joining the Democratic Center in 2021. His political trajectory solidified during his tenure as Bogota’s Secretary of Government under Mayor Enrique Peñalosa, where he gained national visibility for advocating security and public order policies.
In 2019, he ran for Mayor of Bogota, an unsuccessful campaign that nonetheless strengthened his profile as a representative of Uribist ideology in the capital.
As a senator, he has positioned himself as a staunch critic of the left-wing government and a defender of security, private property, and entrepreneurship. Uribe Turbay embodies a rare blend of liberal tradition and conservative resolve, keeping him relevant in national politics despite tensions with some party allies.
Former President Uribe to seek party unity this weekend
To smooth out differences and seek a—for now—complicated unity, the leader of the Democratic Center party and former president of the country, Alvaro Uribe, has summoned the five pre-candidates this coming weekend in the city of Neiva, capital of the Huila department.
At this meeting, the party leader will aim to rebuild bridges and forge a unity that experts describe as “difficult.” Some of Miguel Uribe’s opponents within the party view the senator as someone who does not truly represent the values of the Democratic Center, associating him instead with the Liberal Party.
In fact, Miguel Uribe’s past affiliation with the Liberal Party has created distance between him and some fellow party members, who see him as too closely aligned with Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogota and a potential presidential candidate in 2026.
The reality is that the Democratic Center needs this unity to confidently compete in upcoming elections, where it will attempt to regain the power it lost in 2022 with the victory of leftist Gustavo Petro.
For now, polls show independent candidate Vicky Davila as the frontrunner. Though she represents staunchly conservative positions, she has stated she will not seek support from Uribismo for her campaign, which she claims will be based on a citizen-led platform.