Left leads legislative elections in Colombia and projects presidential dispute

The Colombian left emerged from this Sunday’s legislative elections (8) as the main political force in the country, with the Historic Pact, President Gustavo Petro’s coalition, appearing as the force with the most votes for the Senate and one of the main benches in the Chamber.

Projections released after the initial count indicate that the government bloc is expected to win around 25 seats in the Senate, maintaining the largest bench in the House, while the composition of the Chamber of Representatives is still uncertain

Senator and presidential candidate Iván Cepeda stated that the result confirms the political strength of the movement. “We are the main political force in Colombia, the most influential and the one that currently has the largest bench in the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives”, he declared.

The result comes on the eve of the presidential election scheduled for May 31, in which Cepeda appears among the main names in the dispute.

The legislative victory of Petro’s coalition also comes at a time of advance of the extreme right in Latin America and growing political pressure from the United States on governments in the region.

In the Senate, where 108 seats were up for grabs, the Historic Pact was the most voted list, with more than 4.4 million votes across the country. Initial projections indicate that President Gustavo Petro’s coalition is expected to win around 25 seats, expanding its presence in the House — currently the bloc has 20 seats.

The Democratic Center, a party founded by the far-right former president Álvaro Uribe, appears as the second force, with an estimated 17 seats, above the 13 it currently occupies in the Senate.

Behind the two main forces appear the traditional parties, which should play a decisive role in the formation of majorities in Congress. The Liberal Party projects 13 seats, while the Green Alliance and Conservative Party appear with 11 each. The La U party would have 9 seats, followed by Cambio Radical, with 6, and the parties Ahora Colombia and Salvación Nacional, both with around 5 seats.

In the Chamber of Representatives, where 188 seats are up for grabs, the count still does not allow defining the final distribution of the benches. In total, Colombians elected 108 senators and 188 representatives, who will begin their terms on July 20, 2026.

Cepeda defends reforms and promises to deepen the progressive agenda

Commenting on the result of the legislative elections, senator and presidential candidate Iván Cepeda stated that the vote also represents support for the reforms promoted by Gustavo Petro’s government in recent years.

According to him, the performance of the Historic Pact at the polls confirms the coalition’s commitment to the program defended since the left’s arrival in power. “We were faithful to the people. We fulfilled our government program to a high degree and always put people’s lives, dignity and interests first,” he stated.

“We are the government of agrarian reform, labor reform and pension reform, which dignifies work and dignifies the elderly,” he declared.

The presidential candidate also stated that the result paves the way for a new stage of the political project that began in 2022. “Today begins our second half. With a strong bench we will begin a new stage of transformations to deepen the changes,” he said.

During his speech, Cepeda also dedicated part of his speech to the fight against corruption, an issue that, according to him, will be central in the presidential race. “Let there be no doubt: our fight will be decided against grand corruption. There will be no respite against those who plunder the public budget”, he stated.

According to the senator, the coalition intends to mobilize popular support to confront practices that it considers structural in the country’s politics. “We will promote citizen rebellion against grand corruption and transform republican austerity into a public service norm,” he declared.