With a recognition to the participants in the electoral process, the former President of the Republic Álvaro Uribe Vélez, natural leader of the Democratic Center, remotely welcomed the selection of Senator Paloma Valencia as the Community candidate for the right-wing consultation that will take place on March 8, 2026. With a short virtual message, the head of state highlighted the virtues of the new candidate, who defeated two of her colleagues.
In fact, The former president also remembered Senators Paola Holguín and María Fernanda Cabal.who were also part of this process and were present at the announcement of the winner of this nomination process: the same who, after several difficulties, including most recently the break with Miguel Uribe Londoño, father of the assassinated Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, shaped the electoral environment within the right-wing representation.
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“This has been a very difficult journey that, thanks to the virtue of my compatriots and people like our candidates, has managed to draw hope from the difficulties,” said Uribe in his opening sentence, which he took as an opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of the murdered Uribe Turbay, completed on August 11, 2025, after the June 7 attack in Bogotá and which he mentioned that “we always keep in mind” and will be introduced to the new one “daily”. generations.
In his speech, Uribe highlighted the qualities that, in his opinion, make Valencia stand out. “Paloma represents everything that the new politics demands. She and her companions show no signs of corruption. “Every mistake that has been made is ours, those of us who have been in this gap for a long time,” admitted the former president, who took responsibility for the mistakes of the past and differentiated the new generation of leadership.
Again, The head of state emphasized the need to support young people and renew policies. “I want to say to the young people that we have a candidate who is experienced in her youth like the best, but who has all the qualities to win the trust of the new generations of Colombians,” said the president, who took the opportunity to call for participation and a generational change within his party, which will seek to return to power.
In his speech Uribe also addressed the threats and polarization surrounding race and that led her to take precautions after her partner was murdered. “In addition to the assassination of Miguel Uribe, our candidates are under serious threat and Senator Paloma will run with whom she represents the opposite side of democracy, not only protected by the state, but also protected by the criminals he has so often supported,” he explained.
Regarding the programmatic vision, the former president defended a reduced state model and an economy based on business ethics. “For us, a peso that improves the worker’s remuneration is betterto a peso that will fill the treasury with taxes, especially given the aggravating situation of corruption and disbelief. “For us, a peso invested for the ethics of the entrepreneur is better than a peso paid as taxes to the state,” he said.
Recognition of Paloma Valencia’s legislative career also took center stage in the veteran politician’s speech. “In the Congress of the Republic he was recognized as the best legislator, as the legislator who cared about the protection of the jungle, about the legality linked to the protection of the environment, with a great environmental policy and at the same time for giving Colombian entrepreneurs the opportunity to formalize them.”
The intervention ended with a message of mobilization and hope. “We will win. Victory is the fruit of dedication. And here we have someone to win with, an impeccable wife.” “We will all fight to protect Paloma, to accompany her so that Paloma leads us to victory, so that Paloma leads a grand coalition of the Colombian people, so that democracy triumphs and Colombia does not follow the path of Castro-Chavismo,” he stressed.
By consensus of the pre-candidates, the final decision was made using two technical procedures. The first was carried out by the Chilean company Cademwhich conducted a nationwide quantitative study with a sample of 2,109 interviews distributed across the country. The interviews were conducted over the Internet itself, using a questionnaire previously agreed between the parties. The error rate was 2.5% and the confidence level reached 95%.
The second methodology was implemented from December 1st together with the Chilean company Panel Ciudadanowhich surveyed 5,000 active members of the Democratic Centerincluding members of ward and departmental committees, national leaders, youth advisors, councilors, aldermen, deputies, representatives and senators. 2,255 valid votes were registered, with an error rate of around 1.45%.
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