Ivan Cepeda decided to confront one of the most sensitive issues for the Colombian left in the middle of the presidential campaign: the corruption cases that have hit Gustavo Petro’s government.
The ruling party candidate publicly acknowledged that irregular acts did occur during the current administration and assured that, if he reaches the presidency, one of his priorities will be to “eradicate them” to prevent the continuity of progressivism from being marked by the same vices it has historically criticized.
The statements, made amid the intensifying electoral debate ahead of the presidential elections, represent one of the most direct acknowledgments by a figure close to Petrismo regarding the political wear caused by the scandals surrounding the executive branch in recent years.
Cepeda, who embodies the continuity of the current left-wing government’s political project, sought to distance himself from the controversies and project an image of institutional integrity and transparency.
Cepeda admits corruption in Petro administration, vows to ‘eradicate’ it if elected in Colombia
Corruption has become one of the central issues in Colombia’s presidential race. Although Gustavo Petro came to power in 2022 with a discourse focused on political transformation and the fight against traditional elites, his government ultimately faced investigations, scrutiny, and controversies that damaged the credibility of several sectors within the ruling coalition.
In that context, Ivan Cepeda chose not to deny the problem. During a public appearance, he acknowledged that corruption had existed within the Petro administration and stated that he does not intend to justify it or minimize its impact.
“The other path, which has not been perfect because we also have to acknowledge it, has been marked by acts of corruption in this government of ours that we are going to eradicate in our second government,” the presidential candidate said during a political event.
The senator and candidate argued that any progressive project aspiring to remain in power must clearly acknowledge the mistakes that were made and act to prevent them from happening again.
The statement carries political weight because Cepeda has been one of President Petro’s closest allies within the left-wing bloc. For years, both shared agendas related to human rights, peace, and opposition to Uribismo, so his words were interpreted as an attempt to show independence from the government’s political desgaste without breaking with the political base of Petrismo.
Amid the campaign, the opposition has insisted on linking the ruling coalition to various scandals that emerged in recent years, especially those related to alleged irregularities in political financing and the management of public resources. Some of those controversies have led to judicial investigations and proceedings before electoral authorities.
Cepeda’s strategy
The acknowledgment of corruption cases also appears to respond to an electoral strategy. Polls and the political climate show that a significant portion of the electorate still supports the social reforms promoted by Petro, while at the same time expressing fatigue over scandals and polarization.
For that reason, Cepeda is attempting to build a different narrative: defending the continuity of certain left-wing policies while promising a stage of greater institutional discipline. In his statements, he asserted that corruption cannot be allowed to destroy the legitimacy of a political project that, according to him, sought to transform the country in favor of historically excluded sectors.
The candidate even spoke of “eradicating” those practices if he wins the elections, a phrase that quickly became one of the focal points of Colombia’s political debate. His opponents reproach him for having remained silent during several controversies throughout the Petro administration and question why he is only now, during the campaign, acknowledging the scale of the problem.
From opposition sectors, conservative and center-right leaders argue that the ruling coalition is trying to distance itself from the controversies when the political desgaste is already evident. Some candidates have stated that corruption was not an isolated event within the government, but rather a sign of improvisation and lack of oversight.
What is certain is that the left moved from denouncing institutional corruption from the opposition to experiencing those same problems firsthand once it came to power in 2022, something that had never happened before.
A complex balance within Petrismo
Cepeda’s statements also reflect internal tensions within Colombian progressivism. While some sectors defend Petro’s administration and believe there is political and media persecution against the government, others consider it necessary to admit mistakes in order to avoid an electoral defeat.
The ruling party candidate appears to be trying to position himself somewhere in the middle: not renouncing Petro’s political legacy — which his candidacy embodies — while also acknowledging failures that affect the project’s credibility.
To all this, it is also worth adding Cepeda’s distancing in recent weeks from the political project proposed during the final stretch of Gustavo Petro’s term: the National Constituent Assembly. While the still-serving president launched a signature-gathering campaign to begin the legal procedures for convening it, Cepeda has clarified that this “will not be a priority” in his potential government.
In this regard, the left-wing candidate has spoken about the need to seek a “national agreement,” a proposal championed by former Liberal minister Juan Fernando Cristo, who supports Cepeda’s candidacy and who was also the architect behind the recent endorsement of the ruling coalition by former minister and former Liberal ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo.
For Ivan Cepeda, one of the main challenges is convincing voters that it is possible to maintain a left-wing government without repeating the scandals and polarizing proposals that marked the current administration. That will likely be one of the most difficult lines to sustain in the final stretch toward the presidential first round.
While the opposition seeks to turn corruption cases into a symbol of the failure of Petrismo, Cepeda is betting on a narrative of correction and continuity. His message attempts to convey that the left can still represent a viable political alternative, as long as it acknowledges mistakes and adopts stricter oversight mechanisms.
The debate is only beginning. But the ruling party candidate’s words make it clear that even within progressivism itself there is awareness that corruption has become one of the most sensitive factors for the political future of the Colombian left.