Elections in Colombia: A Working-Class Perspective

Representative image of elections in Colombia, showing flags and voters.

Elections in Colombia: A Working-Class Perspective

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog, a space where I share my reflections on issues that affect us daily. Today I want to talk about something that’s in the air: the upcoming elections in Colombia. With the 2026 presidential elections approaching, the political landscape is charged with tension. Talking about politics is complicated in itself, with passions and divisions everywhere. However, from my perspective as part of the working class, I believe we are in an era where the traditional labels of “left” and “right” no longer apply, at least not for us, the common citizens.

Left or Right? An Obsolete Debate for the Common Person

In theory, the left promotes social equality and a protective state, while the right emphasizes the free market and private enterprise. But in practice, for the working class, we take the best of both worlds. We value policies like accessible education or public health (typically from the left), but we also appreciate economic stability and entrepreneurship (associated with the right). These divisions seem more like a tool for polarization than an everyday reality. In this globalized era, we must be pragmatic: focus on real solutions for problems like employment, security, and basic services, without getting stuck in rigid ideologies.

Disinformation: The Real Enemy in These Elections

One of the biggest challenges in Colombia is disinformation, which spreads like a virus and divides society. Ownership concentration matters here: most of the major traditional outlets belong to a handful of business groups — Semana (Grupo Gilinski, since its 2023 acquisition), RCN (Organización Ardila Lülle), Caracol and Blu Radio (Grupo Santo Domingo, through Valorem/Caracol Radiodifusora). Media watchdogs and independent journalists have repeatedly criticized these outlets for perceived bias and uneven journalistic rigor, arguing that they often prioritize narratives favorable to specific interests (La Silla Vacía tracks these ownership ties in its media coverage). Whatever one’s own reading, the ownership structure itself is public record — and it is a fair input when weighing how a story is framed.

For example, while President Gustavo Petro was giving a speech defending his achievements on topics like health and responding to criticisms about censorship and the conviction of Álvaro Uribe (1, 2), certain media outlets chose to cover a meeting presented as a “health forum” that involved former President Uribe, César Gaviria, and opposition pre-candidates. In my view, this event became a space to attack the current government’s health reform, despite the fact that several participants have been historically linked to problems in the health system, such as corruption in EPSs. This distracts from government progress and perpetuates fallacies about who is responsible for the system’s degradation.

Another clear case is the collapse of a bridge in Boyacá, which occurred in 2023. Some media outlets (3) and social media users (4) recently presented it as a failure of the current government, blaming it directly. However, the bridge was built and delivered in 2015, during previous administrations, and it collapsed in August 2023 (5) — a timeline Petro himself recapped when answering the viral post. The Petro government had built an alternate route before the collapse, which prevented deaths and major blockages, enabling routes like the one through El Sisga. These examples illustrate how facts are manipulated to generate confusion, ignoring historical contexts and preventive actions.

The Role of Alternative Media: A Light in the Darkness

Fortunately, there are options that prioritize investigative journalism. Outlets like Señal Colombia (a public channel owned by the State through RTVC Public Media System), independent fact-checking and investigation projects such as Colombiacheck (run by the non-partisan Consejo de Redacción), and independent columnists like “Los Danieles” (Daniel Coronell and Daniel Samper Ospina, in Cambio Colombia) offer deep, verified analysis. I read them as counterweights, not as neutral oracles — every outlet has a vantage point — but their work investigates scandals, contrasts information, and exposes manipulations, which helps unmask fallacies on electoral and social issues. Their role is essential for a balanced panorama, especially in a country where traditional media sometimes acts as an extension of elites who see Colombia as their “backyard.”

Our Responsibility: Investigate and Corroborate Before Speaking

As thinking individuals, we cannot accept information without verifying it. Always investigate diverse sources, use fact-checkers like Colombiacheck, and contrast narratives. Ask yourselves: Who benefits from this version? In the upcoming elections, let’s prioritize facts over emotions. As the working class, let’s unite for a fair Colombia, free from disinformation.

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