In an unexpected turn for the upcoming electoral contest, the former mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero Calle, has managed to secure his participation in the 2026 presidential elections. After a political summit held in the city of Pasto, the Indigenous Authorities of Colombia (AICO) movement made official the delivery of its endorsement to the former Antioquian president.
This support emerges as a crucial political lifeline for Quintero, whose candidacy had been left hanging in the balance after a series of legal and administrative setbacks before the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the Registrar’s Office, which had made it difficult for him to register through signatures and his participation in prior consultations.
A “Plan B” that becomes reality
The meeting in the capital of Nariño sealed an alliance that had been rumored in political circles. The directives of AICO, a party with current legal status and of ancestral origin, decided to open its doors to the leader of the Independents movement, allowing him to overcome the disabilities that threatened to leave him off the board.
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“We receive this mandate from the indigenous authorities with humility and responsibility. It is an endorsement for the people, for those who do not give up and for those who believe that change cannot be stopped by bureaucracy,” were Quintero’s words after confirming the decision.
The context of the decision
Quintero’s path to the Casa de Nariño has been marked by turbulence. Just a few weeks ago, his aspiration seemed to be shipwrecked after the Registry Office rejected his committee of signatures and legal disputes arose over his failed participation in the consultation of the Historical Pact.
Political analysts point out that AICO’s endorsement is not just an administrative procedure, but a strategic move. By sheltering under a party with special status and constitutional recognition, Quintero could shield his candidacy against future demands for double militancy or procedural errors, allowing him to directly enter the first round or negotiate with greater force in an eventual center-left coalition, such as the Frente Amplio.
What’s next for the campaign?
With the endorsement in hand, Daniel Quintero is expected to begin an aggressive national tour in January 2026, seeking to capitalize on the opinion vote and discontent of sectors that do not feel represented by either the traditional opposition or the current ruling party.
However, the challenge is not minor. Quintero must convince a skeptical electoral base and explain his alliance with an indigenous movement, a sector with very specific agendas on territory and autonomy, which he must now harmonize with his proposal for technological modernization and urban change.
For now, the news shakes up the political chessboard: Daniel Quintero is officially back in the race.
Quintero found the formula to be a candidate for the Presidency: they gave him the endorsement of an indigenous party