Right-wing presidential candidate Paloma Valencia confirmed Thursday that former director of the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), Juan Daniel Oviedo, will be her vice-presidential running mate in the first round of the presidential elections scheduled for May 31 in Colombia.
The decision puts an end to several days of speculation within the bloc of the traditional right, after both held intense talks following the inter-party primary held last Sunday.
The announcement comes after Valencia won decisively in the so-called Gran Consulta por Colombia, where she received more than 3.2 million votes and where Oviedo surprised observers by consolidating himself as the second most-voted figure in the bloc, with more than 1.2 million votes.
That result immediately made him the leading contender for the coalition’s vice-presidential nomination and a key political asset for the campaign of the Centro Democrático senator, helping her carve out her own political profile against what had until now been the right’s leading candidate, independent Abelardo De la Espriella.
Oviedo to serve as Paloma Valencia’s running mate in Colombia
Rumors about the possibility of Oviedo joining Valencia on the presidential ticket began circulating on election night Sunday. The former DANE director had achieved an unexpected result in the primary, surpassing figures with longer political careers and becoming the second most-voted candidate among the nine contenders who took part in the coalition’s internal contest.
With more than 1,255,000 votes, Oviedo not only consolidated his presence in national politics but also demonstrated an electoral mobilization capacity that few analysts had anticipated. His performance was interpreted as a sign that he could bring additional votes to Valencia’s candidacy, especially among urban sectors and voters who do not fully identify with traditional uribismo.
During the days following the primary, both politicians held meetings to assess the possibility of building a joint ticket. During that period, Valencia made clear that she was considering several names for the vice presidency, although she publicly acknowledged Oviedo’s qualities and his potential to broaden the campaign’s political base.
Oviedo himself confirmed at the time that the candidate had offered him the chance to join her on the presidential ticket, although he stressed that the final decision rested with Valencia and that it would be officially announced once a political and programmatic agreement had been reached between the two teams.
The confirmation of the appointment became clear after a video that candidate Valencia posted on her social media account, in which she welcomed Oviedo’s arrival with a clear message: “Welcome, Mr. Vice President.”
Bienvenido señor vicepresidente @JDOviedoAr pic.twitter.com/ZGa5GZc83x
— Paloma Valencia L (@PalomaValenciaL) March 12, 2026
An attempt to win over the political center and defeat De la Espriella
The selection of Oviedo also reflects a strategic calculation within Valencia’s campaign. Although the senator represents the most ideologically defined wing of uribismo—a clearly conservative ideological option—her candidacy seeks to expand its electoral reach beyond the hard core of the Colombian right.
Oviedo, an economist and former technocratic official, has cultivated an image of political independence and ideological moderation that brings him closer to centrist sectors. His technocratic profile and his tenure as head of DANE during the administration of President Duque—from Democratic Center—have made him a well-known figure in academic and business circles, which could facilitate the campaign’s outreach to voters who do not fully identify with the traditional discourse of the uribista party.
Political analysts have pointed out that Oviedo’s presence on the ticket may help Valencia project a broader and more plural image within the right. The campaign itself has conveyed the idea that the alliance seeks to represent the spirit of the inter-party primary, in which different political currents competed to select a single candidate to represent the sector in the presidential race.
In addition, Oviedo’s candidacy could attract urban sectors and younger voters who value his technical profile and his less confrontational political style, in contrast with the more ideological tone of some leaders of uribismo.
Differentiating itself within the right
The decision also has implications within the Colombian right itself, where Valencia will have to compete with other candidacies seeking to capture the opposition vote against the current government.
Among them stands out the independent candidacy of Abelardo De la Espriella, who is also trying to consolidate his own space within the conservative spectrum. In that context, the Valencia–Oviedo ticket aims to project a combination of political experience and technical credibility that distinguishes it from other contenders in the same sector.
While De la Espriella has opted for a more confrontational discourse and for a vice-presidential ticket centered on economic and administrative profiles, Valencia’s campaign is betting on a duo that combines political leadership with technical capacity and a connection with centrist voters.
In the electoral landscape emerging ahead of the May 31 first round, the right is entering the race fragmented among several candidates, while the left and the center are trying to consolidate their own alliances. The appointment of Oviedo seeks precisely to strengthen Valencia’s position within that competitive panorama and increase her chances of advancing to a potential runoff.
With the ticket now defined, the campaign is entering a new phase in which both candidates will have to travel across the country to consolidate an electoral coalition capable of competing for power in a scenario marked by political polarization and the search for the decisive centrist vote.