Politics News

Petro's Pacto Histórico tops Colombia's Senate vote as Paloma Valencia wins the right's primary

Colombia held legislative elections and presidential primaries on Sunday, March 8. With 99.78% of the vote counted, bne IntelliNews reported that President Gustavo Petro's Pacto Histórico was the largest force in the Senate, with 25 seats and 4.35 million votes, or 22.8%. The right-wing opposition Centro Democrático was second with 17 seats and 15.6%, and the Liberal Party third with 13 seats. The Colombian daily Vanguardia reported that Pacto Histórico had won the most Senate seats.

In the right's Gran Consulta primary, Paloma Valencia won 3.23 million votes, 58.9% of 5.48 million cast, ahead of Juan Daniel Oviedo with 21.3%. Claudia López won the centrist primary with 92.87%. The presidential election is on May 31, and Petro cannot run again. IntelliNews said the leading candidates are Iván Cepeda on the left, independent Abelardo de la Espriella and Valencia, with a pre-election poll putting them at 31.7%, 22.6% and 10%.

“The left showed that it is here to stay, the right that it is divided, but it is not weak.” — Sergio Guzman, Colombia Risk Analysis, via Reuters

The Brunswick News described a polarised electorate, with the left ahead in the Senate and Valencia now the Centro Democrático candidate, and noted that key frontrunners did not take part in the primaries.

How each outlet framed it

• bne IntelliNews — the full scoreboard and the right rallying behind Valencia, who called the government “a time bomb.”
• Vanguardia — the headline result at home: the governing left's Senate win.
• The Brunswick News — a divided country heading for a presidential race.

What we don't know yet: How the new Congress will line up behind the eventual president. No party came close to a Senate majority on its own.