The National Electoral Council (CNE) has launched a preliminary inquiry to verify the validity of Abelardo de La Espriella’s signatures for his presidential candidacy for the May 31, 2026, elections. The administrative decision stems from a citizen complaint alleging irregularities in the signature collection process of the civic movement “Defensores de la Patria” (Defenders of the Homeland).
The electoral tribunal requested the National Civil Registry to conduct technical tests to determine whether identity fraud or falsification of those signatures occurred in the documents submitted by the campaign.
Discrepancies in technical validation figures
The CNE’s file highlights a significant discrepancy between the number of signatures filed and those actually validated by the authority. Candidate De La Espriella publicly declared in December 2025 that he had submitted 4,869,407 signatures to the National Registry.
However, the technical report — an official analysis document — titled “Investigation 44,” dated Jan. 19, 2026, reported that the total number of records analyzed was 5,079,000. Of these, 159,700 signature forms included blank lines, which were invalidated. The entity ultimately validated only 1,978,108 signatures — annulling nearly 66% of the forms provided by the registration committee.
Marceliano Julio Fonseca Bolivar, the lawyer who filed the complaint, argues that the campaign submitted false documents and records of citizens who had not authorized the use of their signatures. According to him, the surplus of signatures sought to create an inflated perception of popular support. CNE has requested that the Registry verify the exact number of valid signatures and explain the specific reasons for the widespread invalidations.
Defense arguments and the candidate’s response
The law does not establish a maximum limit of signatures per candidate. Citizen groups supporting presidential aspirations were required to submit at least 635,216 valid signatures (also called the validation threshold), equivalent to 3% of the votes cast in the first round of the 2022 elections. The signatures validated by the Registry exceed the required threshold.
The legal team of Defensores de la Patria dismissed the allegations, calling the process a routine technical incident. Campaign adviser German Calderon España stated that Colombian law restricts the revocation of presidential candidacies to cases of dual party membership or constitutional ineligibility. According to him, errors in signature validation are common in signature-based campaigns and do not constitute fraudulent conduct by the candidate.
De La Espriella reacted to the opening of the file by quoting the Mexican TV character Chapulín Colorado: “Calma, que no panda el cúnico” (“don’t panic”). He insisted that his registration meets all legal requirements and described the complaint as a “legal trick” aimed at halting his rise in the polls. He insisted that institutions guarantee due process, characterizing his opponents’ actions as a calculated campaign of political persecution.
Calma, que no panda el cúnico: estoy firme.
— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) May 3, 2026
Cumplimos todos los requisitos, no hay fraude y no van a sacarnos con maniobras sin sustento.
Los de siempre están desesperados, pero esta lucha no la detiene nadie. Ni jurídica, ni política, ni moralmente.
Tigre y raya, en primera… pic.twitter.com/Jfou9OJPb4
Verification stages and electoral calendar
CNE ordered tests to determine whether the irregularities detected stemmed from fieldwork errors by campaign brigades or from a systematic identity fraud scheme. The electoral body granted five business days for the registration committee and the candidate himself to present their defenses regarding the allegations.
The electoral authority must resolve the candidate’s legal status before the final printing of the ballots for the first round. CNE emphasized that opening the inquiry does not imply immediate annulment of the registration, though it does entail strict oversight of the movement’s supporting documents. The tribunal’s ruling will set a precedent for the legal transparency expected of key political organizations in the 2026 presidential election.