Ivan Cepeda is the ruling left-wing candidate for the presidency of Colombia and, for now, leads most polls, although with opposition candidate Abelardo De La Espriella very close behind, especially in a potential runoff election. These are some of Colombia’s Ivan Cepeda’s proposals.
This human rights advocate, senator, and close ally of current President Gustavo Petro maintains a proposal that seeks to go beyond administrative continuity and envisions, in his own words, a structural transformation of the country.
For years, Cepeda has been one of the most visible voices defending victims of the armed conflict and, with his decision to enter the presidential race, he presents a project that brings together economic reforms, social justice, territorial peace, and a profound institutional reconfiguration.
His discourse combines the historical vindication of marginalized sectors with the promise of a new productive model that reduces social gaps, very much in line with the current government.
Far from limiting himself to specific adjustments, the candidate proposes an “economic and social revolution” accompanied by an “ethical revolution,” in which the state assumes a central role in guaranteeing rights, redistributing wealth, and consolidating peace. These are the guiding principles that structure his program.
Accused by some opposition sectors of being “the FARC’s candidate” — something his main rival, De La Espriella, constantly repeats — a potential victory for his candidacy would mean the consolidation of Gustavo Petro’s project, which by the final stretch of his term had fallen short of turning many of the 2022 campaign promises into law.
Deepening Petro’s reforms: Ivan Cepeda’s main proposals for Colombia
The economic axis of Ivan Cepeda’s project starts from a clear premise: The current model has failed to close the deep inequalities that run through Colombia.
Therefore, he proposes a productive transformation that combines industrialization, technological innovation, and strengthening of agriculture, to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on extractive sectors, something the Petro government has already begun to do.
In his vision, the countryside occupies a strategic place. Cepeda has insisted that there can be no sustainable development without a firm commitment to rural areas, historically hit by violence and state neglect.
His proposal includes boosting agricultural productivity, improving access to credit and technology for small- and medium-sized producers, and more effectively linking rural areas with urban markets. Territorial integration is presented as an indispensable condition for reducing poverty and generating real opportunities.
On fiscal matters, he proposes a progressive tax reform — which Petro attempted and failed to consolidate due to lack of support in Congress — aimed at easing the burden on working classes and the middle sectors, while increasing the contribution of large capital and higher incomes.
The stated goal is to better redistribute resources and finance robust social policies that reduce income gaps. For Cepeda, tax fairness is a pillar of social justice and a key tool to finance the structural change he proposes.
Social justice, human rights, and historical memory
Cepeda’s trajectory as a defender of victims of the armed conflict is directly reflected in his program. The candidate says that his eventual government would promote an “ethical revolution” aimed at restoring the dignity of institutions and placing human rights at the center of state action.
His proposal includes guaranteeing truth, justice, and reparation for victims of state crimes and political violence in general. Cepeda defends strengthening transitional justice mechanisms and firmly supporting the institutions created by the Peace Agreement, such as the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.
In his view, consolidating historical memory is not only a symbolic act but a condition to prevent the repetition of violence.
The commitment to victims is not limited to the judicial sphere. The candidate proposes public policies aimed at their economic and social inclusion, with emphasis on education, housing, and access to basic services. In his vision, reparation must translate into concrete opportunities and into the reconstruction of the social fabric in communities affected by decades of conflict.
One of the most complex issues — due to the urgency of broad agreements that have proven difficult to reach — is the future of the health care system, which is undergoing an open crisis that compromises health care for citizens and threatens to worsen, precisely because of the lack of political agreement.
On this point, Cepeda proposes to delve deeper into the proposals — which have not yet been approved by Congress — to reform it, giving the state a leading role as administrator, in addition to its existing role as financier.
Peace, dialogue, and territorial institutions
Cepeda conceives peace as a comprehensive process that goes beyond formal negotiations with armed groups.
While he defends the continuation and strengthening of dialogues — highly questioned in the country due to their scarce tangible results — he insists that these must be accompanied by real transformations in the territories most affected by violence, something that to date has not gone beyond words.
His proposal for territorial peace seeks to articulate social investment, productive development, and institutional strengthening in historically marginalized regions. The idea is that the state’s presence should not be limited to the deployment of public force, but should translate into services, infrastructure, and economic opportunities.
Under this approach, peace is built both at negotiation tables and in the rural communities and municipalities that have experienced the conflict firsthand.
Cepeda has also stressed that any dialogue process with armed players must be conditioned on clear commitments to truth, reparation, and human rights guarantees.
According to his approach, this is not about unilateral concessions, but about agreements that reinforce justice and nonrepetition. Peace, in his project, is inseparable from the dignity of victims and democratic strengthening.
In addition, his experience as a member of the dialogue table with the ELN guerrilla should provide much-needed experience in one of the most complicated aspects for the next government: How to combat illegal armed groups and how to strengthen security in the territories.
Environment, energy transition, and ecological protection
The environmental component occupies a relevant place in the candidate’s program. Cepeda advocates for a just energy transition that reduces dependence on fossil fuels and promotes renewable sources, without leaving unprotected the communities that currently depend economically on extractive activities.
His proposal includes the defense of strategic ecosystems, the fight against deforestation and illegal mining, and the promotion of a sustainable development model that harmonizes economic growth with environmental protection.
In his vision, the transition must be planned and accompanied by labor reconversion policies that prevent new pockets of exclusion.
The environmental approach is linked to his commitment to the countryside and rural areas. Cepeda proposes that protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable agricultural practices can become engines of development for regions that today face illicit economies and environmental degradation.
Related: Day 1 Decrees: De La Espriella’s Economic and Security Proposals for Colombia.
Structural reform of the state, ethics, and the fight against corruption
One of the most ambitious points of the program is the proposal for a structural reform of the state. Cepeda has stated that his government would not limit itself to “cosmetic reforms,” but would promote big changes in power structures to foster greater social justice and transparency.
In this context, he has expressed his support for convening a National Constituent Assembly as a mechanism to advance far-reaching transformations. According to his proposal, a new institutional architecture could consolidate rights, strengthen citizen participation, and modernize the state to make it more efficient and less vulnerable to corruption.
The fight against corruption appears as a cross-cutting component. Cepeda argues that restoring ethics in public life is essential to rebuilding public trust. This would involve strengthening oversight mechanisms, increasing transparency in public contracting, and promoting an institutional culture based on accountability.
In this regard, he marks some difference with the current Petro government, beyond criticizing the “infiltration of corruption,” which he recently acknowledged victimized the first left-wing government in the country’s history, with scandals ranging from the 2022 presidential campaign to the most significant of all: The alleged diversion of funds from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), a case that already has some convictions and remains open.
Consolidating President Petro’s reforms: the great challenge that polarizes Colombia
Overall, Ivan Cepeda’s project seeks to continue — and especially to give greater real substance to — the project launched in 2022 by Colombia’s first left-wing government.
Bringing together social justice, historical reparation, and economic development lies at the core of the ruling candidate’s main pillars, under a single vision of the country.
His proposal emphasizes victims, rural communities, and marginalized sectors, with the intention of transforming the economic and social model into one that is more equitable and sustainable, which is also no easy task considering how limited the presidential term is in Colombia: four years with no possibility of reelection.
The commitment to territorial peace, the strengthening of human rights, and a potential constitutional reform shape a program that aims to redefine Colombia’s institutional foundations and open a new political cycle centered on equity, memory, and reconciliation.
And all this in a scenario — as in much of the Western world — where polarization and the growth of reactionary political movements are gaining strength.
Perhaps the first challenge — Cepeda has acknowledged at some point — is to broaden representation in a traditionally highly fragmented Congress that always needs political alliances beyond the president’s party. This is something Petro attempted, but in which he failed resoundingly just a few months into his term.
Mi discurso ayer en Cartagena:
EL 8 DE MARZO VAMOS A ELEGIR LA MÁS PODEROSA BANCADA PARLAMENTARIAhttps://t.co/xTUzTOmTDq pic.twitter.com/4vZdHBPidt
— Iván Cepeda Castro (@IvanCepedaCast) February 9, 2026