Ivan Cepeda Closed His Presidential Campaign in Bogota
Progressive presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda wrapped up his campaign in Bogota on Saturday, June 13, with a rally aimed at defending the peace accords and appealing to centrist voters. In his speech, the Historical Pact candidate stressed the need to protect national pacification efforts from what he warned are regressive proposals by right-wing rival Abelardo De la Espriella. This final mobilization in the capital marked a concentrated push by the ruling coalition to secure independent urban voters just a week before the runoff election.
Cepeda with a more moderate government plan
The presidential candidate officially presented his final government program, which is characterized by a moderate shift that excludes the total peace agenda. The document formalized his explicit opposition to restructuring the Central Bank and to any radical legal modifications. The leftist candidate replaced his more contentious proposals with a call for a negotiated national agreement focused on safeguarding legal stability.
The revised plan organized priority actions into three key areas: public ethics, the digital modernization of the state, and socioeconomic equity through existing institutional channels. Cepeda promised a strict austerity policy that includes reducing the salaries of high-ranking public sector officials and eliminating lavish travel allowances for state employees. The candidate seeks to reassure business associations with this programmatic restructuring by promising that minimum wage increases will be linked to real increases in national productivity.
A scenario that reflects a change in logistics
The campaign team reinforced this shift toward moderation with their choice of venue for the last day legally permitted for public events. The organization strategically selected Plaza Cultural Santamaría, formerly the Plaza de Toros (bullring), in the Santa Fe neighborhood to gather its supporters. Organizers placed the main stage in a community space instead of using the traditional Plaza de Bolívar.
Volunteers distributed leaflets outlining the points of the unity agreement, while attendees waved white flags and banners promoting institutional stability. Campaign spokespeople issued a statement calling for a vote for Cepeda to preserve social dialogue and prevent polarization in the country’s regions.
Strategy to reverse the disadvantage in the polls
Cepeda’s strategic committee redesigned its messaging aimed at the middle class after the official results of the first round of voting on May 31, released by the National Electoral Council. The leftist candidate obtained 9,703,921 votes that day, equivalent to 40.99% of the national total, falling behind candidate De la Espriella, who garnered 10,366,143 votes, equivalent to 43% of the total.
To safeguard urban support, Representative María Fernanda Carrascal will coordinate a technical deployment of election observers across Bogotá’s 20 districts, reinforcing oversight at key polling stations and reaffirming the campaign’s confidence in the electoral authorities’ vote count. Current legal restrictions prohibit large public events starting this weekend.
The key question is whether this pivot to the center will suffice to shift the momentum of the final Guarumo and Ecoanalítica poll, which El Tiempo published today. The poll gave De la Espriella 52.6% of the vote intention compared to 45% for Cepeda. The polls will officially open next Sunday, June 21, throughout the country.