Former Colombia’s Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo announced Thursday his endorsement of Senator Ivan Cepeda’s presidential campaign, in an expected move that reshapes the ruling coalition’s political map ahead of the elections next May.
The decision comes just days after Cristo withdrew his independent presidential bid, amid internal tensions within the left-wing bloc and with limited prospects in the polls.
Cristo’s backing of Cepeda comes at a key moment for consolidating a unified candidacy within the progressive spectrum that looks toward the political center, with the aim of broadening its support.
Both leaders sealed a political agreement that, they said, seeks to strengthen the defense of the reforms promoted by the government and to avoid the fragmentation of the pro-government vote in the first round scheduled for May 31.
Former minister Cristo joins Ivan Cepeda’s presidential campaign in Colombia
Cristo formalized his support after a meeting with Cepeda in which they discussed programmatic lines and electoral strategy. The former minister, identified as an independent liberal close to the government, said his decision responds to the need to build a candidacy with real chances of victory, rather than maintaining individual aspirations that could weaken the ruling bloc.
In public statements, Cristo stressed that the agreement includes the defense of the main social reforms promoted by the current administration, as well as a commitment to implementing the peace agreement and strengthening institutions.
For his part, Cepeda highlighted Cristo’s incorporation as a sign of political openness and convergence among different sectors that support the government. However, doubts remained about a potential National Constituent Assembly — a measure promoted by President Petro, but rejected by Cristo in the recent past.
“With this agreement, a new stage of the campaign begins: a stage to bring people together, to engage in dialogue, and to build a country with reforms and reconciliation. It is an agreement among different actors who share one conviction: Colombia needs agreements to move forward, alongside Ivan Cepeda,” explained the veteran former minister, who also served as Interior Minister under President Juan Manuel Santos between 2014 and 2017.
Following the announcement of the endorsement, at a public event this morning at the Tequendama Hotel in Bogota, both Cepeda and Cristo’s political party, On March, called on other progressive and centrist forces to join the ruling coalition’s candidacy.
Con este acuerdo comienza una nueva etapa de la campaña: una etapa para sumar, dialogar y construir un país con reformas y reconciliación. Es un acuerdo entre distintos que comparten una convicción: Colombia necesita acuerdos para avanzar, junto a @IvanCepedaCast.… pic.twitter.com/0CrnzdzrcM
— Juan Fernando Cristo (@CristoBustos) March 19, 2026
From the controversial interparty primary to backing Cepeda
The backdrop to this move is shaped by the controversy surrounding the left-wing interparty primary, a mechanism intended to select a single candidate through a vote held on March 8 alongside other primaries. Cristo had planned to take part in that process but withdrew following the controversial exclusion of Ivan Cepeda by the decision of the electoral authority.
Cepeda’s exclusion—the leading favorite for that vote—not only altered Cristo’s political strategy, but also exposed divisions within the ruling coalition, as Roy Barreras, another ally of President Petro, remained in the primary.
After pulling out of the primary, Cristo announced he would run directly in the first round of the presidential election, a decision that raised the risk of splitting the progressive vote. However, that strategy was short-lived. Last week, the former minister surprised observers by announcing his withdrawal from the race, arguing the need to reassess his role within the political landscape.
In reality, this endorsement was expected, given the statements favorable to the left-wing candidate that Cristo had made since launching his presidential bid. The personal relationship between the two politicians goes back a long way, as the former minister recalled today at the event where he formally backed the senator’s campaign.
“I met Ivan Cepeda when he was not yet a congressman, and from the Senate, we were already promoting the Victims and Land Restitution Law, against the position of the Uribe government, which refused to recognize the armed conflict. Since then, we have shared the goal of restoring dignity and recognition to millions of compatriots ignored for decades by the state. He was a victim of the state. I was a victim of the ELN. We both lost our fathers in the midst of an absurd war,” Cristo said.
In light of all this, the former minister and his party emphasized the importance of a campaign they called “Alliance for Life,” focused on national reconciliation, peace, and reforms aimed at social inclusion.
El Partido #EnMarcha y @CristoBustos, desde el lanzamiento de la Alianza por la Vida, decimos: por la reconciliación, por la paz, por más reformas y por la inclusión social que @IvanCepedaCast será el próximo presidente de las y los colombianos. #LiberalesConIván 🚩🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/WfzGnNgfRd
— En Marcha Colombia (@SomosEnMarcha) March 19, 2026
Questions over the timing of a Constituent Assembly
While the two politicians agree on implementing the Peace Agreement, political reform, and especially on seeking a national accord, there is a clear line of tension: the Constituent Assembly.
During his speech, the former minister did not avoid his differences with Cepeda. “Calling a Constituent Assembly at this time is inconvenient and ill-timed. It deepens the country’s divisions and would distract the next government from the urgent tasks we face in security, health care, and fiscal stability,” he acknowledged.
For his part, Ivan Cepeda said he is not closed to reforming the 1991 Constitution, while making clear that he defends its legitimacy. “We will continue to fight to defend the Constitution for its central idea that sovereignty resides with the people,” the Historic Pact senator said.
Campaign teams for both politicians clarified that this thorny issue surrounding a potential National Constituent Assembly, if it were to occur, would have to be the result of a broad national consensus, without providing further details.
Members of the Historic Pact—the party of candidate Ivan Cepeda — and On March, the center-left movement led by Cristo, attended the endorsement event. Also noteworthy was the presence of the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Julian Lopez, from the Party of the U, which fueled speculation about possible future endorsements of Cepeda’s candidacy before May 31.