politics
May 8, 2026
DEBATE
Three weeks before the first presidential round, EL COLOMBIANO, Teleantioquia, Telemedellín and Blu Radio bring a presidential debate between Claud...
TL;DR
- Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella were invited but did not attend the debate.
- Claudia López criticized "total peace" dialogues, stating they indulge in controlling prisons and having parties.
- Sergio Fajardo criticized Petro’s "stage show" and the seating of criminal gang leaders.
- Paloma Valencia emphasized hitting criminals hard on extortion, illegal mining, and drug trafficking.
- All candidates supported fracking, with Fajardo and López advocating for pilot projects first.
- On extraditing President Petro, López and Fajardo stated he should answer in Colombia, while Valencia said he must answer if abroad.
- Candidates proposed reforms for the health system, including interventions in EPS and Supersalud.
- Views on relations with Venezuela varied, with López condemning the regime but advocating for diplomatic ties.
- López and Valencia rejected Petro's Constituent Assembly proposal, fearing re-election.
- Fajardo called Petro an "autocrat" and declared a Constituent Assembly a "declaration of war."
- López called Iván Cepeda "cynic" and denounced pressure to vote for him and the Historical Pact.
- Candidates debated reducing the state and bureaucracy, with Valencia proposing fewer ministries.
- López and Fajardo criticized candidates who do not debate, implicitly targeting Cepeda and De la Espriella.
- López attacked De la Espriella, calling him a "defender of the mafia."
- Fajardo agreed, stating anyone threatening the left shouldn't be president.
- López discussed gentrification in Medellín and proposed measures against extortion.
- Fajardo suggested using telephone companies and the financial system to combat extortion.
- López focused on migratory control and strengthening networks to combat sexual exploitation.
- Both López and Valencia praised Mayor Federico Gutiérrez's efforts against crime and exploitation, calling for national and international cooperation.