Vicky Davila left the right-wing coalition that was seeking a single candidacy for the presidential elections, within the grouping known as the Gran Coalicion, and returned to journalism at the local magazine Semana, the outlet she led until november 2024, when she made the leap into politics.
Her departure comes weeks after the internal primary in which the bloc’s presidential bid was decided and in which her candidacy was left without options, in favor of the Democratic Center candidate, Paloma Valencia.
The move brings to an end a political foray that lasted less than a year, despite the fact that for a time the journalist even led voting intention in opinion polls. Davila had left the microphones with the intention of running for the presidency, but the result of the primary, which gave victory to Paloma Valencia, closed that path and led her back to her usual terrain: the media.
Vicky Davila leaves Paloma Valencia’s coalition in Colombia, returns to journalism
Vicky Davila’s move into politics took place in 2025, in a context of wear and tear among traditional parties and a search for new leadership capable of preventing the left from remaining in power beyond Gustavo Petro.
Her name, widely recognized for her journalistic work, quickly emerged as a competitive option within the right-wing spectrum, presenting herself as an independent formula, although clearly identified with conservative positions and opposed to the Petro administration (2022–2026).
During the first months of the campaign, that recognition translated into voting intention. Some polls even placed her in first place within her sector, ahead of figures with longer political careers. Her direct message and media visibility allowed her to connect with an electorate seeking different profiles.
But that initial momentum did not hold. As the campaign progressed, internal competition became clearer and traditional political structures began to weigh more heavily than public exposure. Davila’s candidacy began to lose strength to other options within the same coalition.
According to local media in Colombia, the journalist sent a WhatsApp message to her until-yesterday political coalition colleagues, explaining her professional return to the world of the press. “Today, I just want to tell you that I care about you very much. I thank you for your support and this opportunity you gave me, I learned a great deal. You know I am a journalist at heart, by trade,” Davila wrote in the message.
“Yesterday Semana [the magazine Vicky Davila led until a year and a half ago] opened a door for me to return to this profession, and I walked in,” the former politician said. “I hope this goes well, it’s what I know how to do… I will always be there for you, don’t forget me. I will not forget you,” she concluded.
The primary that defined the candidacy and the end of a political chapter
The Gran Consulta por Colombia was the mechanism agreed upon by several right-wing sectors to choose a single candidate. The vote, held on March 8, ultimately clarified the landscape and produced a clear winner: Paloma Valencia, who prevailed by a wide margin over her competitors.
For Davila, the result was adverse. She failed to come close to the top positions and was left without room to continue in the presidential race within that bloc. The primary, which initially represented an opportunity to consolidate her candidacy, ended up being the turning point that marked her exit.
The outcome revealed a gap between media visibility and the ability to mobilize voters. Although Davila had managed to place her name in the public conversation, she was unable to translate that recognition into enough votes within a contest organized by parties and political machines.
After the defeat in the primary, the continuity of her political project was called into question. Without the backing of the coalition and with the candidacy already defined under Valencia’s leadership, Davila’s options for remaining in public life were drastically reduced.
Her decision to leave the coalition confirmed that scenario. With it, she closed a chapter that had begun with high expectations and that, for several months, positioned her as one of the figures to watch within the campaign.
The return to Semana magazine
With her departure from politics, Davila returned to Semana magazine, the outlet where she built her career and from which she achieved her greatest influence. Her return was immediate and materialized with her reappearance in editorial content and interviews.
An interview with candidate Abelardo De la Espriella, Paloma Valencia’s main rival within the right and second in most polls, behind Ivan Cepeda in the May 31 vote, marked her return to the top tier of Colombian journalism.
The return represents a change of role, but not an exit from the public debate. From journalism, Davila maintains a space of influence, albeit different from the one she sought from politics, as a defender of the same principles.
It also raises questions about the relationship between journalism and politics, especially in a context in which the boundaries between the two fields have become more blurred. Her case shows a two-way transition: from the media to politics and back to the media in less than a year.
Despite the doubts that actions like this raise regarding the independence and plurality of traditional journalism, the truth is that Vicky Dávila’s ideological positions, as well as those of Semana magazine since it was acquired by the Gilinski Group in 2020, are not a surprise to readers who, despite turning their backs on politics, continue to value Davila’s work as a reference in Colombian journalism.