Colombian presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda publicly asked two journalists from the local radio station Blu Radio to stop speculating about his health, after comments about his physical condition were made during a radio program.
The leader said he is in perfect physical and emotional condition and stated that his candidacy was assumed after undergoing strict medical checks.
The senator’s reaction came after journalists Néstor Morales and Felipe Zuleta mentioned his health during a debate about the medical transparency of presidential hopefuls.
Cepeda responded by stating that any information about his condition should be based on verifiable facts and not on conjecture that could affect his public image in the middle of an election campaign.
Candidate Cepeda urges Colombian media to stop health speculation
Cepeda’s statement became known through a public message addressed to the two journalists in which he rejected what he described as unfounded speculation. In that text he maintained that the discussion about his health has been built on assumptions that do not correspond to reality.
The candidate said he is fully fit to exercise public functions and that his decision to run for the presidency was made after undergoing rigorous medical evaluations. According to his explanation, those checks confirm that his physical and emotional condition is adequate to face the demands of a campaign and of a potential government.
Cepeda also argued that if there is data contradicting his statement, it should be presented publicly with evidence. Otherwise, he asked the journalists to refrain from spreading versions that could be interpreted as rumors or insinuations.
The senator emphasized that public discussion should focus on proposals and government programs, not on speculation about the health of the candidates.
In a statement published yesterday on his social media accounts, Cepeda wrote that “the health condition of any person is a matter that must be treated in the most responsible manner by the media. Any doubt about a person’s health planted on the basis of speculation or rumor generates false representations about the suitable capacity to optimally perform a function in public life.”
The candidate challenged the journalists that if they “possess information suggesting that I have some problem that prevents me from exercising the Presidency [Cepeda is the ruling party’s candidate for the upcoming elections] due to my physical or mental condition, I request that you kindly report it promptly and officially.”
COMUNICACIÓN A BLU RADIO
Señores Néstor Morales y Felipe Zuleta:
La condición de la salud de toda persona es un asunto que debe ser tratado de la manera más responsable por los medios de comunicación.
Cualquier duda sobre la salud de una persona sembrada con base a una… pic.twitter.com/di5Fm5pWD8
— Iván Cepeda Castro (@IvanCepedaCast) March 13, 2026
Cepeda’s cancer is now a thing of the past
References to Cepeda’s health are related to a medical episode that he himself made public several years ago. The leader was diagnosed with cancer, a disease he faced through treatments and specialized medical procedures.
After completing that process, Cepeda himself announced that he had recovered and fully resumed his political activity. Since then, he has reiterated that he continues to undergo periodic medical checkups and that the results have been favorable.
The senator has explained on different occasions that he decided to openly disclose his illness precisely to avoid rumors and maintain transparency with public opinion. In that context, he considers that the recent speculation does not reflect his current situation.
In his most recent message he insisted that his candidacy is supported by strict medical evaluations confirming his capacity to exercise public responsibilities.
Health as a political issue
The controversy also brought back to the table a recurring debate in Colombian politics: to what extent the health of leaders and candidates should be part of public scrutiny.
In recent years this issue has gained greater visibility due to repeated speculation that has surrounded the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, during his term. Since the beginning of his government, political sectors and some analysts have on different occasions questioned his physical condition or his capacity to exercise the office.
Petro himself has responded on several occasions to those claims, denying that there is any health problem affecting his performance as head of state. The debate, however, has remained a frequent element in the country’s political and media discussion.
Cepeda’s case reflects how personal health can become a subject of controversy in the midst of intense election campaigns, where rumors and interpretations can be quickly amplified.
The candidate, who for now leads voting intention in the first round scheduled for May 31, concluded that he will continue to focus on his presidential campaign and on presenting his proposals, while maintaining the medical checks that, according to him, confirm that his state of health is fully compatible with the demands of the office he aspires to.