Colombia’s Green Alliance party is imploding over the collective decision to back the presidential candidacy of pro-government candidate Ivan Cepeda, a fracture that had been years in the making.
What during the government of Gustavo Petro was a constant tension, sometimes simmering and at other times openly exposed, has ultimately become a formal rupture driven by the faction most critical of the left.
The party, which for more than a decade tried to maintain a balance among different political sensibilities, has reached a point of no return. The approval of the split, promoted by the controversial senator Jota Pe Hernandez, marks the outcome of an internal conflict that had already seen failed attempts at separation.
This time, however, the ideological and strategic differences over the country’s direction and the party’s role on the political stage proved irreconcilable, and the breakup of the organization that managed to bring together diverse viewpoints from an environmentalist perspective signals its definitive “divorce.”
Electoral alliances split Colombia’s Green Alliance party
The endorsement of Ivan Cepeda as the pro-government presidential candidate was the immediate trigger. For a sector of the Green Alliance, the decision meant definitively aligning with President Petro’s political project, something they had rejected since the beginning of his term.
It was not just about a candidacy, but about a definition of identity that many considered incompatible with the principles that, in their view, gave rise to the party.
The most critical lawmakers interpreted the endorsement as a capitulation. They argued that the party had gone from being an independent force of political oversight to becoming an actor subordinate to the government. That perception was the spark that ignited a rupture that already had accumulated fuel.
“For the sake of clarity for the 165,000 Colombians who voted for me: Today the start of the split through which I will leave the Green Party was approved. But WATCH OUT!, I will remain a Senator and continue serving Colombia from my seat; I will simply continue my political career from another party,” wrote Congressman Hernandez, the main driver of the split.
🇨🇴Para claridad de los 165.000 colombianos que votaron por mí:
Hoy se aprobó el inicio de la escisión mediante la cual saldré del Partido Verde. Pero OJO!, seguiré siendo Senador y sirviéndole a Colombia desde mi curul, solo que continuaré mi carrera politica desde otra casa. pic.twitter.com/MpHWDgGpuK
— Jota Pe Hernández (@JotaPeHernandez) April 14, 2026
Four years of internal tensions
Since Gustavo Petro came to power in 2022, the Green Alliance moved in a state of permanent ambiguity. While some of its leaders chose to support the Government’s reforms, others adopted an openly critical stance, generating an increasingly difficult coexistence within the party.
Figures such as Catherine Juvinao stood out for maintaining constant confrontation with the government, questioning Executive initiatives and distancing themselves from key decisions. Along the same lines, Jota Pe Hernandez established himself as one of the most visible voices of internal opposition, denouncing what he considered government excesses and a lack of coherence within the party.
Other prominent names joined them. Senator Angelica Lozano—wife of current presidential candidate Claudia Lopez—although with nuances, also led internal debates about the party’s direction. The coexistence of such divergent positions turned the Green Alliance into a space of constant dispute, where strategic decisions became increasingly difficult to agree upon.
“The decision of the Green Alliance party is regrettable. Imposing, forcing, and disregarding the voice of minorities, privileging only that of the majorities, not only demonstrates an authoritarian disposition (typical of the government they intend to support), but also ignores the democratic foundations and principles of our main reference: Professor Antanas Mockus,” Lozano said in statements after supporting the rupture of her own party, despite the fact that Mockus himself—founder in 2009 of the Green Alliance—was present at the public celebration event of Petro’s electoral victory four years ago.
La decisión del partido Alianza Verde es lamentable. Imponer, obligar y desconocer la voz de las minorías, privilegiando únicamente la de las mayorías, no solo evidencia un talante autoritario (propio del gobierno que pretenden respaldar), sino que también desconoce los… pic.twitter.com/g1Fng7P91W
— Angélica Lozano Correa (@AngelicaLozanoC) April 14, 2026
This is not the first time the critical faction has tried to break away. Months ago, a split had already been proposed, but it failed due to a lack of sufficient support and fears of weakening the party in a complex political context. However, the electoral landscape and the definition of alliances ultimately tipped the balance.
The proposal pushed by Jota Pe Hernandez secured the necessary backing this time, formalizing the start of a division process that many within the party had considered inevitable. The key difference from the previous attempt is that there is now a concrete political event —the support for Cepeda— serving as a definitive breaking point.
Two irreconcilable visions within the Green Alliance
The fracture reflects two opposing ways of understanding the role of the Green Alliance. On one side are those who believe the party should integrate into the progressive bloc led by Petro —with Ivan Cepeda as the continuity candidate— to push forward structural reforms. On the other are those who defend an independent position, with the ability to be critical and without automatic alignments.
For the faction leaving the party, its closeness to the government has eroded its credibility among part of the electorate. They argue that the Green Alliance has lost its essence by diluting its character as a political alternative and becoming, in practice, an ally of the ruling party.
On the other side, supporters of the alliance argue that the political moment demands clear choices and that backing Ivan Cepeda is consistent with a progressive agenda. They believe the split is driven more by electoral calculations than by deep ideological differences.
The rupture comes at a key moment, just weeks before the presidential election on May 31. The fragmentation of the Green Alliance not only weakens its political weight —already hit by the March legislative elections— but also reshapes the map of alliances and may affect the distribution of the vote.
The faction breaking away will seek to establish itself as an independent option, likely closer to conservative positions and, in any case, in open opposition to the government. Meanwhile, the group that remains aligned with the ruling party will aim to capitalize on its support for Ivan Cepeda as part of a broader strategy.
In any case, the split appears definitive. What for years was a coalition of diverse sensibilities has ultimately divided into two distinct projects. The Green Alliance, as it was known, ceases to exist as a shared space, giving way to a new political configuration marked by polarization and the need for clear choices in a decisive election year for Colombia.