Less than a month before Colombia's 2026 legislative elections, debates like the one at Universidad de San Buenaventura emphasize deeply understanding candidates and their visions. With 3,144 registered aspirants, experts urge fighting abstention and bolstering power balance. Opinions suggest post-election alliances for the presidency.
The second debate in the 2026 elections cycle, held at Universidad de San Buenaventura, made clear that isolated promises are insufficient; a deep understanding of candidates, their proposals, and visions for the country and region is needed, according to columnist Rosa María Agudelo. Topics like infrastructure, investment, and education were central, but the development model is decisive.
In a presidential system, Congress serves as a check against unilateral executive decisions. The last four years showed a lack of governability, with reforms by decree and policies without broad consensus, leading to repeated judicial interventions to review constitutionality, Agudelo notes. This tension harms democracy, and the legislative elections are key to representing Colombia's political, social, and regional diversity.
An Occidente editorial points out that 3,144 candidates registered for the 2026 Congress elections to the Senate and House of Representatives, providing wide ideological, geographical, and social options. In 2022, participation was only 45.87%, with over half of the electoral census abstaining, reflecting disinterest and a failure of citizen co-responsibility. Voters are urged to learn about backgrounds, proposals on education, security, economy, and fundamental rights.
Columnist Gustavo Álvarez Gardeazábal suggests that parties like Liberal, Conservative, Cambio Radical, and La U, without defined presidential candidates, could form a bloc on March 9, one day after the March 8 congressional elections. He proposes Jaime Alberto Cabal, Fenalco president from Buga, as a potential single candidate, valued for his respectful criticism of the Petro government and salaried worker profile, opposing the Uribe-Petro polarization.
Voters must demand clear positions on the economic model, decentralization, and legal security, Agudelo concludes, to defend democracy through information and participation.
