President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro. Photo: Presidency of Colombia.
In a judicial twist that has shaken the Colombian political landscape, the Bogotá Superior Court on Tuesday suspended the internal consultation of the Historic Pact, the governing coalition of President Gustavo Petro. The decision, which the president described as a “premeditated political coup against democracy,” throws the selection of the leftist presidential candidate, the left primaries, for 2026 into limbo—potentially forcing the coalition’s member parties to run separately in the elections unless the referendum is reactivated.
The ruling has also sparked intense debate over the rules of the electoral process and the independence of Colombia’s branches of government.
The controversy stems from the merger of the various parties that make up the Historic Pact. The National Electoral Council (CNE) authorized the merger but with a crucial condition: it temporarily excluded two founding movements—Colombia Humana (Petro’s own party) and Progresistas—due to pending sanctioning proceedings.
To overcome this obstacle, pre-candidates Carolina Corcho and Gustavo Bolívar filed a writ of protection, which was provisionally granted. This precautionary measure served as a lifeline, allowing the referendum to proceed Oct. 26 with three candidates: Carolina Corcho, Iván Cepeda and Daniel Quintero.
However, in a substantive ruling, the Bogotá Superior Court struck down this temporary solution. The judges revoked the protection order, arguing that the CNE was simply applying electoral law by requiring parties to resolve their sanctions before merging—and that this did not violate political rights. With this decision, the Historic Pact referendum loses its legal basis and is indefinitely suspended, leaving individual parties to compete separately in the March 2026 legislative elections and fragmenting the leftist vote.
President Petro responded swiftly on social media. In a message filled with indignation, he accused the justice system of preferring “cheating” over competing for votes. “The Constitution mandates that it is a fundamental right for citizens to form parties,” he wrote.
Petro elevated the dispute to the international level, stating that this right is enshrined not only in the Colombian Constitution but also in the American Convention on Human Rights. “The obstacles imposed by the Electoral Council are unconventional, and the Superior Court of Bogotá ratified this arbitrary act against democracy,” he stated, drawing a direct link between the judicial decision and an alleged attempt to weaken his political movement.
Uncertainty
The ruling plunges the Historic Pact into deep uncertainty. Without a firm legal status for the unified coalition, holding a referendum is now legally unfeasible. The remaining option is for individual parties—Colombia Humana, Progresistas, the Communist Party and others—to participate separately in the March 2026 legislative elections, further fragmenting the leftist vote and weakening its position against an increasingly united opposition.
Yet the legal battle is far from over. Leaders of the Historic Pact have already announced they will pursue all available legal avenues. An appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice looms as the next crucial step. A favorable ruling could reactivate the referendum at the last minute, but time is running out, and the window is closing rapidly.
Pre-candidates clear the fog
In statements to the media Tuesday night, Iván Cepeda said that while the Court’s ruling “must of course be complied with,” it does not require the suspension of the proceedings.
“We have analyzed it carefully and concluded that the consultation will not be halted. The process will continue as planned on October 26,” he stated.
Cepeda explained that the Historic Pact has already designed a legal strategy to overcome the impasse. “This strategy will allow us to select a candidate to represent us in the electoral process and participate in the Broad Front referendum next March,” he said.
The senator also revealed that during their meeting with President Petro, they expressed “deep concern” over the actions of the National Electoral Council (CNE). They believe the CNE’s actions are “obstructing the Historic Pact’s participation and violating its political rights.”
LA CONSULTA SIGUE ADELANTE Y LA CANDIDATURA ELEGIDA VA A LA CONSULTA DEL FRENTE AMPLIO EN MARZO DE 2026 pic.twitter.com/TTlB1IL6TV
— Iván Cepeda Castro (@IvanCepedaCast) October 8, 2025
Cepeda insisted that no authority has ordered the suspension of the consultation.
He explained that the court’s decision is limited to a procedural issue regarding candidate registration, which he described as “fully remediable.” “It does not pose a serious or insurmountable obstacle to continuing the process,” he added.
Cepeda also shared the interpretation of candidate Carolina Corcho, who maintains that the ruling does not order the suspension of the process. “Therefore, the Registrar may not have issued a ruling yet. Since there is no formal instruction to halt the consultation, the process continues,” she reiterated.
For now, the Registry is studying the ruling. However, the campaign is moving forward: logistics have been contracted, the number of polling stations has been determined, and security details are being finalized.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JB/SH