We all have to protect Paloma. Why are there networks that allow this?
En Colombia, a pocas semanas de las elecciones presidenciales del 31 de mayo, la candidata Paloma Valencia recibió una amenaza de muerte disfrazada de imagen fúnebre en redes sociales, recordando al país que la violencia política no es solo un fantasma del pasado. La amenaza llega en un momento en que la memoria del asesinato del candidato Miguel Uribe Turbay en 2025 aún pesa sobre la conciencia nacional, y cuando la democracia colombiana enfrenta una de sus pruebas más delicadas. Lo que circula en TikTok no es solo una imagen manipulada: es el reflejo de una fractura más profunda en el tejido del debate público.
- Una fotografía trucada con los años '1978-2026' y la leyenda 'Descanse en paz' se viralizó en TikTok y otras plataformas, convirtiendo una amenaza de muerte en un mensaje de alcance masivo e imparable.
- El incidente sacude a Colombia cuando el país aún no ha procesado el asesinato del candidato Miguel Uribe Turbay en 2025, el ataque más grave contra la democracia colombiana en años recientes.
- El partido Centro Democrático denunció la imagen como una 'amenaza directa' diseñada para 'sembrar odio contra la oposición', mientras el expresidente Álvaro Uribe exigió en redes que las plataformas asuman su responsabilidad.
- El ministro del Interior, Armando Benedetti, rechazó las amenazas 'categóricamente' e informó que una sede de campaña de Valencia en Bucaramanga fue vandalizada, revelando que la hostilidad no se limita al mundo digital.
- Con Valencia ubicada en tercer lugar en las encuestas y la primera vuelta a menos de dos meses, la pregunta urgente es si las medidas de seguridad desplegadas serán suficientes para proteger la integridad del proceso electoral.
Una imagen manipulada en blanco y negro, con los años '1978-2026' y las palabras 'Descanse en paz', comenzó a circular esta semana en TikTok con el rostro de Paloma Valencia, candidata presidencial colombiana y figura destacada del Centro Democrático. Aunque el usuario original eliminó la publicación, las capturas de pantalla se propagaron por múltiples plataformas, demostrando cómo las redes sociales pueden convertir una amenaza en un mensaje casi imposible de contener.
El partido de Valencia respondió con contundencia, calificando la imagen de 'amenaza directa' e invocando la historia de violencia política colombiana para subrayar que este tipo de mensajes no son simbólicos, sino peligrosos. El expresidente Álvaro Uribe se sumó desde la red social X, pidiendo protección para la candidata y cuestionando la responsabilidad de las plataformas que permiten la difusión de ese contenido.
El episodio ocurre en un país que todavía carga con el peso del asesinato del senador y candidato presidencial Miguel Uribe Turbay en 2025, un hecho que marcó un antes y un después en la percepción de la seguridad política. El ministro del Interior, Armando Benedetti, rechazó las amenazas y reveló además que una sede de campaña de Valencia en Bucaramanga fue vandalizada, extendiendo la agresión más allá del espacio digital.
Con la primera vuelta electoral fijada para el 31 de mayo y Valencia ocupando el tercer lugar en las encuestas, el clima político colombiano muestra señales de deterioro que preocupan tanto a la oposición como al gobierno. La pregunta que queda abierta es si las garantías de seguridad prometidas serán suficientes, y si las plataformas tecnológicas actuarán con la urgencia que el momento exige.
A doctored photograph began circulating on social media this week showing Paloma Valencia, a leading Colombian presidential candidate, rendered in black and white with the years "1978-2026" printed beneath her image and the words "Rest in peace" alongside a wreath of flowers. The image, which originated on TikTok before being deleted by its poster, has since spread across multiple platforms as screenshots, persisting even after the original upload vanished. It is, by any measure, a death threat—one delivered not through a letter or a phone call, but through the algorithmic machinery of social media, where it can be copied, shared, and amplified indefinitely.
Valencia's party, the Democratic Center, responded swiftly and with gravity. In a statement, they characterized the image as a "direct threat" against their candidate and argued that such content is designed to "sow hatred against the opposition." The party went further, suggesting that the use of death as a political tool signals a deeper erosion of democratic discourse in the country. They invoked Colombia's history of political violence, reminding the public that leaders have been murdered for their convictions. The timing is not incidental. Colombia will hold its first round of presidential elections on May 31—less than two months away—and Valencia currently ranks third in voter preference according to polling released this week.
The threat arrives in a country still reeling from a watershed moment. In 2025, Miguel Uribe Turbay, a senator and presidential candidate, was assassinated in a shooting attack in Bogotá. That killing stands as one of the gravest assaults on Colombian democracy in recent memory, and it has kept the question of political security at the forefront of national consciousness. Former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, who served from 2002 to 2010, took to social media to denounce the image circulating against Valencia. "Watch out for these cowardly thugs," he wrote on X. "We all have to protect Paloma. Why are there networks that allow this?" His words carried both solidarity and alarm—a recognition that the threat was real and that the platforms enabling it bore some responsibility.
The government has also weighed in. Armando Benedetti, the Interior Minister, rejected the death threats "categorically" and reported that one of Valencia's campaign offices in Bucaramanga, a city in the eastern department of Santander, had been vandalized. Benedetti stated that the national government has provided security guarantees to all candidates, particularly those from opposition parties, and that authorities are working to investigate the incident and strengthen protection measures. His statement attempted to project control and impartiality, though it also underscored the seriousness with which officials are treating the threat.
The broader context is one of acute political tension. President Gustavo Petro's administration is in its final phase, preparing to hand power to his successor. The presidential race is heating up, and the democratic space—already strained—is showing signs of fracture. That a leading opposition candidate can be threatened with death through an image on social media, and that such a threat can spread widely before being addressed, suggests something troubling about the state of political competition in Colombia. The question now is whether the security measures being deployed will be sufficient, and whether the platforms hosting such content will take more aggressive action to prevent its spread. For Valencia and her supporters, the weeks ahead will be watched closely.
Notable Quotes
Watch out for these cowardly thugs. We all have to protect Paloma. Why are there networks that allow this?— Former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, on social media
Colombia cannot forget that leaders have been assassinated for defending their ideas.— Democratic Center party statement
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a single image matter so much? It's just a photo with text on it.
Because in Colombia right now, that image is a message. It says: we know who you are, we know what you look like, and we're imagining you dead. That's not abstract—it's a threat that travels at the speed of a share button.
But the original post was deleted. Doesn't that end it?
No. Screenshots exist now. They're copies of a copy, spreading across platforms faster than any one person can control. The deletion doesn't undo the threat; it just makes it harder to trace who sent it.
Is Valencia actually in danger, or is this political theater?
Both, probably. The threat is real—it's circulating, it's being seen. But the response from her party and the government is also strategic. They're using it to show that the opposition is under attack, that democracy is fragile. That's true, but it's also useful politically.
What does this say about Colombia right now?
That the country is scared. A senator was murdered last year. Now a leading candidate is being threatened on TikTok. People are asking whether elections can even happen safely, whether opposition candidates will survive to vote day. That fear changes everything about how people engage in politics.
Can the government actually protect her?
They say they can. But you can't guard someone against every screenshot, every repost. You can increase security, investigate who posted it, but the threat itself—the idea that she might be killed—that's already in the world now.