After a week of tensions, the Historical Pact He confirmed that he will have presidential consultation in October. However, there was a candidate purification: there will be no nine candidates, but the list was reduced to three. In the card they will appear Iván Cepeda, Daniel Quintero and Carolina Corcho.
The rest of the six candidates (Gustavo Bolívar, Susana Muhamad, María José Pizarro, Alí Bantú Ashanti, Gloria Inés Ramírez and Gloria Flórez) decided to decline their aspiration as a way for the left sector to be represented in Cepeda as opposed to Daniel Quintero. Cork was the only one who from the beginning said that he would go yes or yes and has maintained this position regardless of the orders of unity to stop the former mayor of Medellín.
(You can read: Petro says that he will call Colombian volunteers to fight in Gaza).
On the other hand, among the agreements achieved this Friday it was established that María José Pizarro will be the head of the list to Senate for the 2026 Congress elections. It will be the only fixed position, the rest of the legislative applications will be defined with the interparty consultation of October, in which the historical pact will go (as a party composed of the UP, democratic pole and communist party), the human Colombia and the progressive and progressive Mais.
Nariño House.
The presidential order
This Friday’s decision contrasts with the agreement that had been reached a day before. At that time, given the legal doubts about the personnel of the Historical Pact, Human Colombia and Progressiveit was decided that there would only be an interparty consultation for chamber and Senate lists.
They would not apply the same figure for the presidency, as a concept of the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) He alerted them that, if they made the consultation in October in an interparty manner, they were forced to go with that candidate for the first round and not participate in the consultation of the Broad Front to the Presidency, which would take place in March.
(Further: Join health in Colombia: the key procedure that many migrants still do not know).
“If the consultation is interpreted as selection of presidential candidate, the result would be mandatory according to article 7 of Law 1475 of 2011. In this case, the winning person could not participate later in another interparty consultation, because this would configure double militancy or breach of a compulsory popular decision“, says the concept.
Iván Cepeda
Under that thesis, the Political Council decided on Thursday afternoon that it was better not to sacrifice a possible participation in the March consultations and seek a different way of choosing the unique candidate of the left: “Regarding the selection of presidential candidacy, and considering the lack of legal certainties that guarantee the participation of the candidacy chosen in a consultation of the Broad Front in March with other leaderships and allied sectors, we have resolved to prioritize said consultation as the final space that ensures the choice of the winning option for the presidential elections of May of May“
However, the scenario changed this Friday with a message from President Gustavo Petro From New York, in which he disavowed what was agreed against the presidential issue. “The historical pact must go to popular consultation. It is the people who have the right to choose their candidates or candidates“The president said in a trill that was described by opposition sectors as a clear participation in politics.
(Besides: Colombia evaluates limited impact of new US tariffs.).
The presidential position led to the political council of the Historical Pact to meet again to brow the possibilities. And is that one of the reasons why they had thought about stopping the consultation, in addition to the legal risk, was the growth of the favorability of Daniel Quintero. Figures like Gustavo Bolívar and Susana Muhamad presented more and more objections to their presence in the consultation. They knew that if all the nine candidates were going, the Exalcalde Paisa had those to win.
Daniel Quintero.
However, it was not an easy negotiation. Although, since Iván Cepeda announced his candidacy, he put on the table the possibility that the rest of the leftist contestants got off his aspiration, there were some resistances that could only be settled this Friday.
In the end, the fear of a possible victory of Quintero and the legal difficulties were crucial for purification. The three final candidates will go for the same community, the historical pact, so there will no longer be a mess of an interparty consultation.
The first reactions
After knowing this Friday’s agreements, the different sectors of the historical pact reacted. “There is a small possibility that the candidate Daniel Quintero wins and I is forced to work with a candidacy that I do not believe, a candidacy with many inconsistencies, with many shadows and with a candidate in which I have many doubts“said Gustavo Bolívar to explain the reason for his decline.
To this he added: “It is a matter of principles and ethics. My coherence is above my political ambition, so I have made that painful decision. In addition, because three years ago I campaigned against a man who had the same legal situation as Quintero, Rodolfo Hernández“
(You may be interested: Supersalud warns of EPS debts and asks for clarity in health system figures).
Carolina Cork
Iván Cepeda responded to this message: “Appreciated friend and partner, Gustavo Bolívar, your support is proud and full of enthusiasm. Together, and with the historical pact we will build the second phase of social transformation and citizen rebellion against macro -corruption. A hug“
Then, Senator María José Pizarro also pronounced: “Officially announce my support for the presidential candidacy of my partner Iván Cepeda. I will be, as always, on the right side of the history and of this political project that was born from the people and will continue to walk with dignity“
Time – Politics
