Senator Iván Cepeda, the Colombian left-wing candidate leading the polls to succeed Gustavo Petro, is advancing in his strategy of forging alliances with like-minded sectors, but different from the ruling Historic Pact, to move closer to a victory in the first round on May 31, as he persistently aims. Less than a month before the elections, with that purpose, he gained the support this Wednesday of former Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, who thus declines his own presidential aspiration. “It is a decision that aligns with the future of Colombia, Iván, that you represent… opportunities cannot continue to be postponed,” said the seasoned diplomat as he formalized his arrival to the Alliance for Life, in an optimistic speech in which he once again reaffirmed his conviction that Colombia’s development depends on its regions. “I will put all my experience at the service of this project,” he promised.
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Murillo, one of the highest-profile Afro-descendants in Colombian politics, is originally from Andagoya, a small mining town in the department of Chocó. His arrival to the campaign of Cepeda and Aida Quilcué is not entirely unexpected, as he had already been one of the figures of the dismantled political center that supported Petro for the 2022 presidential runoff, after having been Sergio Fajardo’s running mate in the first round. At that time, when he announced his support, Murillo highlighted the need to channel efforts to protect the environment, attend to Colombia’s forgotten regions, and implement the peace agreement with the now-defunct FARC guerrilla. He was also motivated by the “enormous historical significance” of bringing to the Vice Presidency Francia Márquez, an Afro-Colombian leader from the Pacific region, like him – Márquez is from Cauca –.
With Petro already in the Presidency, he was first ambassador to the United States and then foreign minister. Known as a conciliator, he positioned himself as an antidote to polarization when he confirmed a year ago that he was launching his presidential campaign as an independent, distancing himself from the president and through signature collection. But his name never took off in the polls. Following Cepeda in voting intention are two right-wing candidates vying for second place: the ultra Abelardo de la Espriella and also Senator Paloma Valencia, from the Democratic Center, the party founded by former president Álvaro Uribe.
Cepeda’s agreement with Murillo resembles the path already taken by former Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo, of liberal origin, with his En Marcha movement; Senator Clara López Obregón, part of the Government caucus; or Green Alliance, the fragmented party that in other times was the main reference of the political center and lacked its own candidate. Beyond nuances, all have ended up highlighting the points of convergence with the left, grouped in the Historic Pact, above the differences that still persist. Among them stands out the resistance to the idea of convening a Constituent Assembly to reform the 1991 political charter, which the Petro Government has insisted on. Cepeda has defended that he favors a national agreement, but without closing that door.
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Murillo’s tenure in the Petro Government had highs and lows. As ambassador in Washington, he managed relations with Colombia’s main commercial and military partner notably during Joe Biden’s time. Already at the Foreign Ministry, he dealt with the delicate crisis in neighboring Venezuela, and he felt that wear. In his last days as foreign minister, he managed to avert the first clash with the new Donald Trump Administration. The Republican threatened to impose tariffs of 25% – and eventually 50% – after Petro returned two planes with deported Colombians. Although the crisis was resolved in less than 24 hours thanks to the intervention of diplomats, former presidents, and businessmen, that episode distanced him from the president. More recently, he rebuilt those bridges by helping to create, at Petro’s own request, a favorable environment for the meeting at the White House in which the Colombian sealed a truce with Trump.
“There is a legacy in sovereign foreign policy, but we have pending and necessary adjustments,” Murillo claimed in his remarks. Grateful, Cepeda acknowledged those credentials when his turn came. “As Luis Gilberto rightly said, we are democrats,” said the left-wing candidate. “We aspire to cooperation, to constructive relations, to productive relations, and that includes, of course, I must say, the United States of America,” added Cepeda, proposing a cordial relationship with Trump in his eventual government. Colombia, however, demands “to be treated as a sovereign and dignified, independent nation,” he warned. “In that, the presence of Luis Gilberto Murillo, we consider, is of great importance,” he praised him.
Without Murillo, a dozen presidential hopefuls are still in the race. Although his face will appear on the ballots, as they have already begun to be printed, none of the votes he receives will be counted. “Here we came to win in the first round… that is the challenge,” the former foreign minister rallied at the end of his speech, aligned with the purpose of the Alliance for Life he has just joined, and in which the arrival of several dissident liberals is still expected. “Let’s not be complacent, let’s work harder,” he concluded.
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