colombianherald.com

The presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella made official his rejection of the proposal of former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez to participate in an interparty consultation in March 2026, which would seek to define a single candidate for the opposition forces. In a formal letter recently released, the lawyer and presidential candidate explained in detail the reasons that led him to reject this selection route.

The central argument put forward by De la Espriella lies in the enormous popular support that his candidacy obtained, backed by more than five million citizen signatures. For the pre-candidate, submitting to an internal consultation mechanism would be an act of ignorance and lack of respect towards that broad and forceful “popular mandate”, which he considers the fundamental pillar of his aspiration.

The Risk of Diluting Leadership in the Outsider

Another point of contention that De la Espriella shared with former president Uribe is the concern that an internal consultation could “blur” his image as a political outsider. The candidate argues that by not belonging to traditional politics, participation in a dispute organized by the parties could reduce his credibility in the eyes of the electorate that perceives him as a figure outside conventional party structures.

Furthermore, the message highlights that in recent polls, his name consistently appears among the first places, competing directly with the far-left candidate, Iván Cepeda. De la Espriella suggests that the electoral logic at this time requires a strong and consolidated alliance immediately, and that waiting until March to have a single candidate is a “big mistake” that only benefits the opposing sector.

An Alliance with the People, More Important than the Partisan

In a respectful but firm tone, De la Espriella told Uribe that the most crucial alliance for his campaign has already been made: with the Colombian people. He pointed out that the number of signatures collected, without resorting to traditional political structures, represents a citizen fervor that must be honored to the end.

With this announcement, the pre-candidate ratifies his intention to go for signatures directly to the first presidential round of 2026, although he keeps the door open to coordinate efforts with the Democratic Center and other parties in the future, but not through the consultation mechanism that has been proposed.

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