The political bloc seeking to define the single left-wing candidate for Colombia’s presidential elections in May finalized its internal primary yesterday, with four contenders, despite legal tensions and strategic calculations. The alliance, formally registered as “Front for Life” with the electoral authority, aims to consolidate progressive forces at a time when the national presidential race is fragmenting into multiple consultations and primaries, even though it leads all opinion polls.
The electoral mechanism chosen for this designation is an interparty primary to be held on March 8, concurrently with the legislative elections, in which the registered candidates will compete to become the standard-bearer of a broad spectrum of the left and center-left against an increasingly atomized opposition that, despite its internal struggles, continues to shape its options.
The coalition forming this primary includes Senator Ivan Cepeda, former Medellin mayor Daniel Quintero, former ambassador to London and veteran lawmaker Roy Barreras, and former ambassador to Buenos Aires Camilo Romero, all with recognized political trajectories across different sectors of the Colombian left.
The official bet is to consolidate a leadership capable of competing strongly against right-wing and centrist candidacies, offering continuity to the social change project launched in recent years by Gustavo Petro. However, the process has not been without controversy, particularly regarding the eligibility of some of its protagonists, prompting the National Electoral Council (CNE) to be called upon to define key conditions ahead of the vote.
‘Front for Life,’ Colombia’s left-wing bloc for the presidential elections
Yesterday, Tuesday, Jan. 27, the formal registration of the “Front for Life” took place, a movement that brings together several left-wing groups and submitted its agreement to the National Civil Registry. The alliance — previously known as the “Broad Front” — emerged from talks among the leaderships of the Historic Pact, the La Fuerza Party, the Workers’ Party of Colombia, the Alternative Indigenous and Social Movement (MAIS), and the Indigenous Authorities Movement of Colombia (AICO), to present a unified option at the polls.
That step consolidated expectations of an internal primary to measure strength among the four contenders and, in the view of its promoters, to strengthen a shared proposal for social and political transformation in the national context. But as soon as the primary was registered, disputes arose over the participation of some of the candidates.
The Registry denied the registration of Daniel Quintero, arguing that his attempt to run violated electoral law because he had recently participated in another internal primary — in which he was also defeated — a criterion that, according to the authority, disqualifies him from competing again in a similar mechanism within the same electoral cycle. Quintero, the former mayor of Medellin, may appeal that decision, but his inclusion has been called into question amid legal uncertainty.
Ivan Cepeda’s situation, for its part, was also referred to CNE after doubts expressed by the Registry regarding his participation, opening another chapter of legal debate that could influence the final configuration of the race. This legal component has added an element of tension closely watched by analysts and party activists alike, given that Cepeda appears in national polls as one of the left-wing politicians with the highest voting intention, consolidating his position as a relevant figure within Colombia’s progressive spectrum.
Se inscribe el FRENTE POR LA VIDA: el progresismo va unido a la consulta presidencial del 8 de marzo.
Vamos por: Reformas, democracia, paz, justicia social y defensa de la vida.
Iván Cepeda, Roy Barreras, Camilo Romero y Daniel Quintero en competencia. pic.twitter.com/Ub5aFLr7Dl— Pacto Histórico Oficial (@PactoCol) January 27, 2026
Protagonists with distinct profiles and a clear favorite
Ivan Cepeda’s leadership is perceived as solid within broad sectors of the left, especially due to his trajectory as a senator and his closeness to the political project embodied by the Historic Pact. Moreover, since his designation in October, his favorability and standing in the polls have continued to rise, and as of today, he leads all published presidential polls.
Nonetheless, his eligibility still depends on decisions by CNE. Cepeda enters this internal primary as the clear favorite, which has generated both enthusiasm and criticism from more moderate sectors or from those critical of the continuity of certain policies. His main rival in terms of name recognition is Roy Barreras, who combines parliamentary and diplomatic experience and has been building his own base of support among those seeking a more negotiating and less polarizing left-wing proposal.
Camilo Romero represents another option with a recognized political track record, especially among broad sectors of progressivism that value his focus on social issues and decentralization. His profile, more closely tied to diplomacy and public management at different levels, gives him a different perspective from the other contenders, although he faces the challenge of consolidating voting intention against figures with greater media visibility.
The case of Daniel Quintero, meanwhile, adds an element of uncertainty. Beyond the judicial decisions regarding his registration, his presence in the primary symbolizes the tension between different internal currents of the Colombian left, especially between those who support continuity in a Petro-style approach and those seeking to renew leadership and strategies. Nevertheless, his prospects are slim at this time.
Once the definitive candidate from the “Front for Life” primary is known, within the left there will be only one possible challenger in the first round of the May 31 presidential elections: The candidate — still to be confirmed — of the Citizen Power coalition (Fuerza Ciudadana, in Spanish), which brings together different left-wing sectors that, while not openly dissident from the current government, seek a distinct profile and, above all, reject alliances by the Petro-aligned left with traditional politicians such as Roy Barreras or the current interior minister, Armando Benedetti.
As the electoral calendar moves toward March, the left-wing bloc will need to resolve these internal tensions and articulate a solid narrative that allows it to compete forcefully for the presidency in May. The outcome of this primary, and the judicial decisions accompanying it, will define not only the presidential candidate but also the direction in which a political sector in the midst of recomposition is heading.