BOGOTA - Event date: March 8, 2026. Colombians went to the polls to choose a new Congress and to help shape the country’s presidential race, in an election defined by high political tension, allegations of fraud and concern about violence in rural areas.
With more than 96% of polling stations reporting late Sunday, the ruling Historical Pact and the Democratic Center were the strongest parties in the Senate tally. In the House of Representatives, the Democratic Center led the count, followed by the Liberal, Conservative and U parties, while the Historical Pact placed fifth. The AP report said more than 3,000 candidates were chasing 285 legislative seats, split between 102 Senate places and 183 in the lower house.
The vote also ran alongside a primary-style contest among the country’s main political blocs. More than 6 million people took part in those consultations, which helped identify candidates for the presidential race due to reach its first round on May 31. The right-wing bloc drew the most participation and produced Paloma Valencia as its winner. In the center, former Bogota mayor Claudia López prevailed. In the center-left contest, former ambassador Roy Barreras came out ahead.
The election was not limited to ballot arithmetic. Hours after voting opened, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said authorities detected at least 2,400 people trying to enter Colombia illegally near the Venezuelan border. President Gustavo Petro quickly described the incident as large-scale fraud and called for an investigation. Officials said buses had been detained and the transportation company behind the operation would be scrutinized, though the defense minister later said no people remained in the area.
That episode became part of a broader dispute over trust in the system. Petro has already questioned Colombia’s election software in the past, and this time the registrar general defended the computer systems and said they undergo international audits. The European Union had deployed observers and said it planned to expand its mission.
The stakes are high because this Congress will shape the presidency even before the May contest begins in earnest. Petro is constitutionally barred from running for immediate reelection, and lawmakers have become a counterweight to his agenda. His government secured some legislative wins, including pension and labor changes, but saw other proposals, including health care and tax reform, turned back.
The opposition, especially the Democratic Center tied to former President Álvaro Uribe, wants to reassert itself before voters choose a new head of state. Meanwhile, the candidate field already looks fragmented. Poll leaders Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella did not take part in the primaries, a reminder that the Sunday contest is only one piece of a wider political struggle.
For Colombian voters, the day was about more than seats. It was a test of whether the country’s institutions could absorb pressure from polarization, border accusations and public frustration over corruption, security and the economy without losing legitimacy.
