Colombia’s conservatives aim to form a large coalition for the 2026 presidential elections. The Democratic Center party, led by former President Alvaro Uribe, convened a virtual forum this past weekend to discuss security and explore strategies to improve this policy in the country.
During the forum—attended by various right-wing candidates, as well as some from the center—Uribe spoke of the need to build “democratic unity,” widely interpreted as a clear call to form a broad coalition for the presidential elections. These elections will determine the president for the 2026-2030 term.
Colombia’s conservatives pursue major coalition for 2026 elections
With less than a year until the first round of Colombia’s 2026 presidential elections, scheduled for May, the country’s political landscape continues to shape strategies.
Weeks ago, the leftist governing coalition—President Gustavo Petro’s Historic Pact—formalized its transformation into a political party by merging several parties within the alliance. The coalition also established a timeline to select a consensus candidate who can continue the current president’s projects. Petro is barred by law from seeking reelection.
On the opposite ideological spectrum, Colombia’s right wing, led by former President Alvaro Uribe (2002–2010), is also showing its cards. This past Sunday, it organized a virtual forum to address the “need to restore security” nationwide.
At the event, attended by multiple right-wing candidates and some considered centrist, Uribe emphasized the need for what he termed “democratic unity,” aiming to build bridges toward a candidate representing all right-wing perspectives in Colombia.
According to the organizers’ official statement, attendees included independent right-wing candidate Vicky Davila; fellow right-winger Enrique Gomez, leader of the National Salvation party; Simon Gaviria of the Liberal Party; centrist leader Berenice Bedoya of the Independent Social Alliance (ASI); former centrist congressman Rodrigo Lara; Juan Manuel Galan, head of the Nuevo Liberalismo party and brother of Bogota’s mayor among others.
Also participating were figures from past conservative governments, including: Martha Lucía Ramírez, former Vice President of Colombia; Juan Carlos Pinzón, former Defense Minister; Francisco Barbosa, former Attorney General; Jaime Pumarejo, former Mayor of Barranquilla; Mauricio Cárdenas, former Finance Minister; Luis Alberto Moreno, former President of the IDB and Alexander Vega, current co-chair of the Party of the U.
Former President Uribe seeks right-wing unity in Colombia
Following the forum, initially focused on security, former President Uribe stressed finding common ground among differing political leanings through opposition to Petro’s government.
He stated: “The idea many Colombians have of achieving broad ‘democratic unity’ won’t come from closed-door meetings or bureaucratic agreements. It requires speaking sincerely to the Colombian people about our differing viewpoints.”
Uribe highlighted the forum’s significance, noting participation not only from security experts but also leaders from factions less aligned with the Democratic Center party.
“For us in the Democratic Center, listening to them is crucial. We’ve listened in service to Colombia’s wellbeing,” he affirmed.
He added: “We’ll explore further dialogue with you… We’ll consider organizing another [forum] on different topics where you can share perspectives—that dialogue Colombians demand—to see if we can ensure Colombia has a strong government next year.”
Alvaro Uribe, vice presidential candidate?
The possibility of Alvaro Uribe running as a vice presidential candidate in next year’s elections continues to gain traction. Although the former president has made no definitive statements on the matter, speculation was fueled by comments made several months ago by his party’s presidential candidate, Paola Holguín, who expressed support for the idea.
Today, statements by Tomas Uribe, the former president’s son, have further fueled speculation about his potential inclusion on a vice presidential ticket in 2026.
In this regard, Tomas Uribe published a text asserting that the purpose of his father’s ongoing trial for alleged witness tampering—whose verdict will be reached within a week—is a strategy to “neutralize Uribe ahead of the 2026 elections.”
In his social media commentary, the former president’s eldest son implies–without providing further details–that his father could be a vice presidential candidate in the upcoming elections.
“Petro and Santos seek to neutralize him (Uribe) legally before 2026, aware that his participation, especially as vice president, would be key to defeating them,” states Tomas Uribe in a document posted on his X account.
La mejor manera de lograr un juicio justo es que se debata el caso en foros académicos, en el trabajo, en la familia. Quien quiera contribuir puede hacerlo promoviendo webinars, debates y discusiones. Las pruebas a favor son contundentes y están todas en YouTube. Está en juego… pic.twitter.com/XW0pTuarAm
— Tomas Uribe Moreno (@tomasuribeEco) July 12, 2025
Nevertheless, Colombian constitutional law scholars question the viability of this vice-presidential option. While the Constitution does not explicitly prohibit a former president from running for vice president, it does require that they meet the same qualifications as required for the presidency. Therefore, Alvaro Uribe’s options would be void, considering that reelection is not legal in Colombia.
“No person who has held the office of President of the Republic under any title may be elected President,” states the constitutional text. Uribe has already served as Colombia’s president for two terms: 2002-2006 and 2006-2010, following a controversial constitutional amendment that enabled his reelection.
This amendment, which also allowed Juan Manuel Santos to secure a second term in 2014, was ultimately revoked by Congress. It established that such an option could only be granted by a Constituent Assembly or through a referendum.