Weekly Report - 12 March 2026 (WR-26-10)

Colombia’s ruling Pacto Histórico performed better than any left-wing coalition in the country’s history in congressional elections on 8 March and will be the largest bloc in both the senate and the lower chamber of congress when new senators and deputies take their seats in July. And yet the elections were somewhat of a disappointment for Pacto Histórico. It remains a long way shy of a majority in either the senate or the lower chamber so even if Petro’s continuity candidate Iván Cepeda wins the presidential elections on 31 May, he will achieve little unless he can build consensus with traditional, broadly centrist, parties in congress. If a right-wing rival wins the presidency and forges just such an alliance, meanwhile, Pacto Histórico would be powerless to block his or her legislative agenda.