Colombians are electing new Congress, choosing presidential candidates

Colombians head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new Congress and select candidates from three major coalitions in a primary-style contest ahead of a presidential election this May.

The election unfolds under high alert for political violence across the South American country, particularly in rural regions dominated by illegal armed groups.

At the same time, President Gustavo Petro — the nation’s first left-leaning leader — has cast doubt on the country’s election software, pointing to the 2022 legislative elections, when his Historic Pact movement gained over 390,000 votes following a recount.

He attributed this shift to the presence of election observers.

The European Union deployed 40 election observers in early February and said it intended to increase the size of the delegation for the upcoming congressional vote.

More than 3,000 candidates are vying for 285 legislative positions — 102 in the Senate and 183 in the House of Representatives — with 41.2 million citizens eligible to cast their ballots.

Sunday’s election is set to define the political landscape for Colombia’s next head of State. Petro is ineligible for reelection because the constitution bars a sitting president from running for a consecutive second term.

Colombia’s current Congress approved Petro’s pension and labour overhaul, but rejected his proposed reforms to the health care and tax reforms, and there were often tensions between him and lawmakers. Meanwhile, the right-wing opposition is looking to reclaim its status as a dominant political force. The Democratic Centre, the nation’s primary Opposition party, continues to be guided by the influence of former President Alvaro Uribe, who is mobilising his base to secure a strong legislative presence ahead of the presidential vote.

Alongside the congressional vote, Colombians will vote to choose presidential candidates for the country’s three major political blocs: the centre, the centre-left, and the right. The winners of the three “inter-party consultations,” similar to American primary elections, will go on to compete in the presidential election, whose first round is set for May 31.

Presidential hopefuls have long used the primaries to gauge their support before entering the first round of voting. This strategy proved successful four years ago for Petro, who consolidated his base by winning the left-wing primary alongside Francia Marquez, who became his vice president.

However, the two candidates currently leading in the polls - leftist Ivan Cepeda, from Petro’s party, and far-right Abelardo de la Espriella - are not participating in the primaries, which are optional.

Political analyst Gabriel Cifuentes said the primaries are a high-stakes gamble for the participants, noting that a victory on Sunday is only meaningful if it demonstrates enough strength to compete with the leading candidates, such as Cepeda and de la Espriella.

More than 126,000 law enforcement officers are expected to be deployed across the country on Election Day.