Versión Español
Spanish.— On Thursday, what had been an open secret was confirmed: Vicky Dávila, journalist and editor-in-chief of Semana, will run for President of Colombia. As a result, she will resign from her position at the prestigious media outlet to focus on her campaign. This development comes amidst internal turmoil in the Democratic Center, the main opposition party to Gustavo Petro’s government. The party is facing divisions following a controversial poll that gave an unlikely lead to Senator Miguel Uribe over fellow Senators María Fernanda Cabal and Paloma Valencia, both of whom are vying for the party’s nomination.
With Vicky Dávila entering the race for the 2026 elections—where the current president aims to extend his project by leaving a left-wing successor—the right-wing sector, largely aligned with Uribismo, now has an outsider figure. Dávila represents an alternative to traditional candidates chosen through the usual party mechanisms.
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The Democratic Center’s internal selection process has faced scrutiny, particularly regarding the lack of transparency in the methodology of the polls used to select candidates. The selection of Óscar Iván Zuluaga over María Fernanda Cabal for the 2022 elections was the most recent contentious episode. It left internal divisions within the party and ended in failure, as Zuluaga had to step aside due to poor polling performance.
Crisis in the Democratic Center
Within the Democratic Center, several names have been floated as potential candidates. Senators María Fernanda Cabal, Paloma Valencia, and Paola Holguín have been featured in opinion polls for months. However, they now face internal competition from Senator Miguel Uribe, who recently formalized his candidacy and has hired Venezuelan political consultant Lester Toledo, known for his work with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, as his campaign advisor.
A poll commissioned by business leaders and conducted by Invamer to “assess” Miguel Uribe’s attributes has sparked controversy. Critics claim it inflates his candidacy, with results showing President Gustavo Petro receiving only 1.5% voter intention if re-election were allowed.
María Fernanda Cabal and Paloma Valencia criticized the poll, appearing together in a video posted on social media to voice their discontent. They likened the situation to the tactics of Sebastián Guanumen, Petro’s former campaign advisor, who engaged in smear campaigns during Petro’s presidential run.
#Atención | Estalla crisis dentro del Uribismo de cara a la escogencia de candidato único para las elecciones de 2026. Precandidatas María Fernanda Cabal y Paloma Valencia cuestionan encuesta, que fue pagada “para medir” a Miguel Uribe y que lo pone a él por encima de los demás… pic.twitter.com/vJ5y5vhdRJ
— La FM (@lafm) November 12, 2024
From Journalism to a Presidential Campaign
Vicky Dávila’s candidacy changes the landscape for the anti-Petro movement. The journalist, who has led Semana in recent years, has uncovered corruption cases involving the current government and has been a staunch critic of Gustavo Petro and the Colombian left. Blu Radio’s news director, Ricardo Ospina, revealed on Mañanas Blu that Dávila has already informed Semana’s executives of her decision to step down in the coming weeks to fully dedicate herself to her campaign.
While some criticize her use of a powerful media platform to propel her presidential ambitions, others praise her investigative work, which has exposed scandals and shaken the nation. Her candidacy raises questions about how her journalistic background and Semana’s reach, especially in cities like Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla, will influence her political prospects.
Details about her candidacy remain unclear. Will she receive support from a political party during the pre-campaign period, or will she enter the internal consultation independently to compete with other right- and center-right candidates? In the last presidential election, Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez won the Equipo por Colombia coalition’s nomination, defeating candidates from traditional national parties like the Conservative Party and the Party of the U. This coalition is likely the one Dávila will align with, considering her political and ideological stance, which is far removed from the other two blocs that traditionally compete for the presidency.
