The inter-party consultations held this Sunday in Colombia, in parallel with the legislative elections, began to shape the map of the presidential race ahead of 2026. Voters who went to the polls not only chose the new members of Congress, but also took part in three consultations to define candidacies within different political blocs: the right, the center, and the left-wing platform Front for Life.
The results produced clear victories in each of the blocs and revealed new balances of power within the political landscape. Paloma Valencia clearly prevailed in the right-wing consultation, Claudia López won the candidacy of the political center, and Roy Barreras secured the nomination within Front for Life after defeating Daniel Quintero.
However, without the participation of the big favorites, the vote stands out for its low turnout, with less than half the number of people who voted four years ago.
Also noteworthy are the invalid votes, which are more than double those cast in 2022, something that both the left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda and the right-wing candidate Abelardo De la Espriella—who did not participate in these elections and will go directly to the first round of the presidential elections—had requested.
Results of inter-party consultations for the Colombian elections: Paloma Valencia sweeps the right wing
Senator Paloma Valencia, from the Democratic Center party, was the big winner of the right-wing consultation — and of the three consultation votes — in a result that strengthens her position within the conservative bloc and projects her as one of the figures with the greatest support in that sector. Valencia obtained more than 3,200,000 votes and its consultation 5,840,000.
Her victory was interpreted by analysts and political leaders as a show of strength within the Colombian right, especially in relation to lawyer Abelardo De la Espriella, who until now had been considered the favorite within that political space.
Although De la Espriella was not directly participating in this consultation, the result opens a new scenario in which Valencia emerges as a contender with real capacity to challenge for the bloc’s leadership ahead of the presidential election.
The senator has built her political profile within Democratic Center with a firm discourse on issues of security, justice, and opposition to the government of Gustavo Petro. Her victory in the consultation strengthens the party’s electoral structure and allows her to begin the next phase of the campaign with support legitimized at the ballot box.
Also noteworthy is Juan Daniel Oviedo’s significant and surprising vote in this poll, which is close to 1,250.000 votes and, despite being left out of the first round of the presidential elections, gives him a possible role in Valencia’s candidacy for May 31.
Claudia López consolidates her position in the center
In the consultation of the political center, former Bogotá mayor Claudia López (574.000 votes) achieved a clear victory that positions her as that sector’s candidate for the presidential race.
The result was interpreted as support for her moderate political profile and her administrative experience, elements that her campaign had highlighted during the weeks leading up to the vote. López seeks to represent an alternative between the country’s most clearly defined ideological blocs and attract voters who identify with centrist positions.
Her victory also reinforces the strategy of centrist forces to present themselves as an option capable of competing with both the right and the left in the next presidential election.
However, the low turnout achieved by both López and his centrist coalition leaves a bittersweet taste for those who aspire to lead the political center in an era of polarization. The center’s consultation received a total of 617,000 votes.
Roy Barreras prevails in Front for Life
In the consultation of the left-wing platform Front for Life (Frente por la Vida, in Spanish) Roy Barreras ultimately prevailed over Daniel Quintero in a contest that drew much of the attention within that political sector.
Barreras (256.000 votes) managed to consolidate support within the coalition and defeat the former mayor of Medellín in a vote that reflected the internal tensions affecting the Colombian left during the process of reorganizing its leadership.
The result positions Barreras as the presidential candidate of Front for Life and opens a new stage in defining alliances within the progressive bloc. With the consultation results now decided, the Colombian political landscape is beginning to outline the figures who will lead the contest for the presidency in the coming months.
This consultation (595.000 total votes) received the lowest number of votes of the three held today, making it clear that Ivan Cepeda is the left-wing candidate who will continue in the presidential elections, with Roy Barreras having no chance of winning.
Related: Colombia Vote Count Shows Tight Race Between Historic Pact and Democratic Center.