Amar a Colombia no es un adjetivo, sino un verbo que exige trabajar
Paloma Valencia, a 47-year-old lawyer and philosopher, becomes the Centro Democrático's presidential nominee with backing from former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez. Valencia advocates hardline policies against illegal armed groups and drug trafficking, positioning herself as aligned with U.S. interests regarding Venezuela and opposing current president Petro.
- Paloma Valencia, 47, lawyer and philosopher, nominated as Centro Democrático's 2026 presidential candidate
- Senator Miguel Uribe, 39, a rival candidate from the same party, assassinated in June 2025 after two months hospitalization
- Álvaro Uribe Vélez, former president (2002-2010), remains party leader; court revoked his 12-year sentence in October 2025
- Valencia's grandfather, Guillermo León Valencia, served as Colombian president 1962-1966
- Campaign unfolds amid U.S. military exercises near Venezuela and Trump administration sanctions against current president Petro
Colombia's Centro Democrático party selected senator Paloma Valencia as its 2026 presidential candidate, positioning her as the opposition's choice amid regional tensions and amid the assassination of rival candidate Miguel Uribe.
Colombia's 2026 presidential race has taken shape with a shadow hanging over it. The Centro Democrático party, the country's main right-wing opposition force, has chosen Paloma Valencia as its standard-bearer—a 47-year-old lawyer and philosopher who will seek to become Colombia's first female president. The selection came through a formal process that included both public polling and internal party voting. But the campaign unfolds under dark circumstances: Senator Miguel Uribe, another aspirant from the same party, was shot during a public event in Bogotá in June and died two months later in the hospital. He was 39.
Valencia's nomination represents a consolidation of power around Álvaro Uribe Vélez, the former president who governed from 2002 to 2010 and remains the intellectual force behind the Centro Democrático. Uribe, now 73, has regained political momentum after a court revoked a 12-year sentence he faced for allegedly bribing paramilitary leaders and committing procedural fraud. Valencia has positioned herself as his devoted protégé, describing herself as the most loyal of his soldiers and crediting him as her mentor in all things. She comes from political lineage herself—her grandfather, Guillermo León Valencia, served as Colombia's president from 1962 to 1966.
The candidate's platform centers on traditional values and an aggressive stance against illegal armed groups and drug trafficking. In a speech to supporters in Bogotá, she invoked what she called an "iron fist" approach to crime and narcotics in a nation that remains the world's largest cocaine producer. This hardline positioning aligns her with broader geopolitical currents. When the Trump administration ordered anti-narcotics exercises in September in waters near Venezuela, Valencia took to social media to declare that Maduro's fall should be "the first step for Latin America to be free." She has since stated that if elected, she would work alongside Venezuelan opposition figures Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner.
The timing and tenor of the campaign reflect deepening U.S. involvement in Latin American politics. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who maintains close ties to Centro Democrático leaders, has overseen recent economic sanctions against Colombia's current president, Gustavo Petro, citing insufficient efforts to combat drug trafficking. Trump has been explicit about backing right-wing candidates across the region—he has claimed credit for supporting Argentina's Javier Milei in recent legislative elections and Honduras's Nasry Asfura in a presidential race, and he asserts he also backed Chile's José Antonio Kast, who was elected president on Sunday.
Valencia's ascent within her party reflects both opportunity and calculation. The Centro Democrático needed a candidate who could energize its base while projecting competence and continuity with Uribe's legacy. Valencia, with her legal training, philosophical background, and family pedigree, fits that mold. Her rhetoric on Venezuela and her alignment with U.S. priorities also position her as a candidate Washington would find palatable. Yet the murder of Miguel Uribe casts a long shadow over the entire contest. It serves as a reminder that Colombian politics, even at the highest levels, remains entangled with violence—and that the 2026 race will unfold in a country where security, drug trafficking, and regional instability remain the defining challenges of governance.
Notable Quotes
The fall of Maduro should be the first step for Latin America to be free— Paloma Valencia, on social media in September 2025
He has been my mentor in all moments of life. I have learned from him that loving Colombia is not an adjective, but a verb that demands work, work, and work— Paloma Valencia, on Álvaro Uribe Vélez
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did the Centro Democrático choose Valencia over other candidates? Was there real competition, or was this always going to be Uribe's choice?
The party ran two separate polls—one public, one internal—to create the appearance of a democratic process. But Uribe's influence is so dominant that it's hard to imagine a scenario where his preferred candidate didn't win. Valencia has explicitly called herself his most loyal soldier.
What does her family background tell us about her candidacy?
Her grandfather was president in the early 1960s. She's not an outsider. She represents continuity with Colombia's traditional conservative establishment. That matters when you're asking voters to trust you with the presidency.
The assassination of Miguel Uribe—does that change the race dynamics?
It's a rupture in the narrative. You have a party running on law and order, on fighting crime, and one of your own candidates was murdered in a public place. That contradiction is hard to escape, no matter how much you talk about an iron fist.
How much is this election about Colombia, and how much is it about the Trump administration's regional strategy?
That's the question hanging over everything. Valencia's statements about Maduro, the timing of U.S. military exercises, Rubio's sanctions against Petro—it all points to a coordinated effort. But Valencia would argue she's simply aligned with what's best for Colombia.
If she wins, what's her first move likely to be?
Based on her rhetoric, probably a harder line on security and drug enforcement, and closer alignment with Venezuelan opposition figures. Whether that actually reduces cocaine production or just shifts the political landscape is another question entirely.