Colombia’s Right Remains Divided Ahead of the 2026 Elections

Written on 12/18/2025
Josep Freixes
The right wing remains divided for the 2026 presidential elections in Colombia, despite the creation of the ‘Gran Consulta’ (Great Consultation). Credit: @JDOviedoAr / X.com.

The Colombian political right is entering the decisive stretch toward the 2026 presidential elections with a still fragmented landscape, but with moves aimed at organizing the competition and offering a cohesive alternative to the left-wing government.

After months of probing and mixed signals, different factions have begun to formalize agreements, while others continue to engage in internal disputes that reveal the difficulties of building a single leadership.

In this context, the debate no longer revolves solely around names, but around selection mechanisms and each bloc’s ability to project unity. Polls show a dispersed conservative electorate, with support spread among technical, media-savvy, and independent figures, prompting a push for consultation-based formulas that would allow candidates to be narrowed down without fully fracturing the right-wing spectrum.

Against this backdrop, while the right’s polling frontrunner, independent lawyer Abelardo De la Espriella, is running on his own, six political leaders have formed what they call “The Grand Consultation,” agreeing to take part in an interparty primary on March 8, from which the presidential candidate of this platform will emerge. Among those included is journalist Vicky Davila.

Finally, the Centro Democratico, the party led by former president Alvaro Uribe, continues to display deep internal divisions, with harsh accusations exchanged among its hopefuls and no clear direction for next year’s elections.

Colombia’s right remains divided ahead of the 2026 elections: the ‘Gran Consulta’ agreement

The first major move came with the announcement of the agreement dubbed the “Gran Consulta por Colombia,” a platform through which six right-wing leaders agreed to join forces in a coalition that will take part in a popular consultation to be held on March 8, 2026. From this process, a single candidate will emerge for the first round of the presidential election.

All participants publicly committed to supporting the winner of this vote, which will be held nationwide simultaneously with the legislative elections. “This is a broad and plural political alliance that is shaping up as one of the main proposals ahead of the 2026 presidential elections,” the coalition said.

The “Gran Consulta” formula seeks to offer an orderly way out of internal competition and to prevent a proliferation of candidacies from ultimately weakening the right in the first round of the presidential election. Figures with diverse backgrounds and profiles are taking part in this pact, such as Mauricio Cardenas, David Luna, Juan Daniel Oviedo, Vicky Davila, Anibal Gaviria, and Juan Manuel Galan.

The interparty consultation aims to legitimize the candidate who emerges victorious and to provide them with broad political backing, at least among those who signed the agreement.

The six aspirants who signed the agreement issued a call to people “who share the purpose of putting the country above personal interests, who do not come from political extremes, and who offer a serious and sensible alternative to confront the country’s real problems, without political bosses and based on experience, evidence, and transparency.”

The promoters of this initiative argue that the “Gran Consulta” is a sign of political maturity and a response to citizens’ demand for clear rules. However, it has also drawn criticism due to the group’s ideological heterogeneity and doubts about whether all participants will honor the outcome. Even so, the mere fact of sitting down to agree on a common mechanism marks a turning point compared with the dispersion that characterized previous attempts.

The weight of the best-positioned independent: the populist De la Espriella

As the “Grand Primary” bloc moves forward on its path, polls continue to place Abelardo De la Espriella as the favorite among right-wing options. He has chosen to stay on the sidelines of interparty agreements. His message, centered on a narrative of independence from traditional parties and a confrontational rhetoric toward the government, has resonated with sectors disenchanted with conventional politics.

With a platform focused on a “tough hand” against insecurity, the dismantling of any dialogue table with illegal armed groups, and the fight against the social proposals of the government of Gustavo Petro, De la Espriella has managed — despite a limited political track record — to lead all polls within the conservative bloc.

De la Espriella’s decision not to join the primary stems precisely from this majority support currently reflected in opinion surveys, which show him as the strongest contender at the ballot box without the need for pacts with other right-wing candidates. In this sense, the controversial lawyer reinforces his outsider image and can capitalize on protest votes within the right.

Nevertheless, in a hypothetical second round, De la Espriella will need the backing of the rest of the conservative options to prevail over the candidate who currently leads electoral opinion polls: the leftist Ivan Cepeda.

For now, the voice closest to the candidate is that of a former aspirant from the Centro Democratico, Miguel Uribe Londoño, who, after being expelled by the party led by former president Alvaro Uribe, is showing attempts to move closer to De la Espriella’s pre-candidacy.

Tensions within Uribismo: the internal war of the Democratic Center

In parallel, the Democratic Center is going through its own process, marked by sharp internal divisions that contrast with the discipline that once characterized the party. The movement founded by former president Alvaro Uribe announced Senator Paloma Valencia as its presidential pre-candidate — a decision that, rather than closing ranks, reignited disagreements.

Fellow Senator Maria Fernanda Cabal, who had aspired to lead the party’s candidacy, publicly voiced doubts about the process that led to Valencia’s designation. Her statements revealed unease among sectors that believe there were insufficient internal guarantees and a lack of broad debate among the grassroots. Adding to these tensions is the figure of Paola Holguin, another leader with her own clout who has been mentioned in internal discussions.

The confrontational climate worsened with recent statements by Miguel Uribe Londoño, a former member of the Democratic Center, who directly accused Cabal, Valencia, and Holguin of “pushing politics into the streets” for his son, Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, who was murdered by a hired gunman while delivering a speech in a public park in Bogota.

The emotionally charged remarks came amid a debate over the limits of political discourse and the responsibility of leaders in a context of high polarization, especially following an armed attack that shook the country several months ago.

These accusations not only deepened the rifts within Uribismo but also reopened the discussion about the tone of the campaign ahead, even among party colleagues. For political analysts, the episode reflects how internal disputes can spill into the personal realm and erode the credibility of a party seeking to present itself as a solid alternative for government.

The differences between Senators Paloma Valencia (left) and Maria Fernanda Cabal (right), following the former’s nomination as the party’s presidential candidate, have brought to light the differences and mistrust between the two colleagues from the Democratic Center party. Credit: Paloma Valencia / Facebook.