Event Summary
On 26 October 2025, the Historic Pact Coalition in Colombia held an internal consultation to select its left-wing presidential candidate for the May 2026 elections and its legislative candidates for March 2026. Participation exceeded 2,042,978 eligible voters, who chose among several pre-candidates. Iván Cepeda emerged as the winner with 1,477,584 votes (65.15%), defeating his main rival Carolina Corcho, who received 652,008 votes. However, irregularities were reported during the process, including polling stations being removed or not set up, and some voters abandoning the vote after finding stations relocated or closed.
The Historic Pact—a coalition of left-wing parties, social movements, and progressive sectors—called this national consultation to ensure continuity of the current government’s political project while renewing internal leadership after a period of tension among its factions. This process unfolds amid deep political polarization, growing mistrust in electoral institutions, and strong public demand for transparency and meaningful participation in party decisions.
This consultation effectively kicked off Colombia’s 2026 electoral process. The selection of the ruling party’s candidate and its lists for Congress will have a significant impact on the tone of next year’s elections.
This event will have key dates later on, namely 8 March 2026, when the legislative elections will take place, and 31 May 2026, when the first round of the presidential election will be held. This is stipulated in the electoral calendar.