Colombia’s long-running internal conflict has become the defining issue in the country’s presidential election, as voters weigh competing strategies for tackling rising insecurity, displacement and the growing influence of armed groups.
For many Colombians, the impact of the violence is deeply personal. “My brother was murdered for not paying an extortion payment in front of his children,” said Edilma Martinez Flores, who fled her home near Cali after armed groups ordered residents to leave or face violence.
She said criminal groups distributed leaflets threatening local communities and planted explosives along travel routes, forcing families to abandon their homes and belongings. Armed groups expand influence Colombia has endured more than six decades of conflict involving state forces, guerrilla organisations, paramilitary groups and drug trafficking networks. The violence has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.While the conflict is not new, analysts say illegal armed groups have significantly expanded in recent years. These include dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the Clan del Golfo.
The groups have increased their presence in strategic rural areas linked to cocaine trafficking, illegal mining and smuggling operations. A major confrontation between the ELN and FARC dissidents near the Venezuelan border last year displaced tens of thousands of people and highlighted the worsening security situation.
Two contrasting visionsThe election has presented voters with two sharply different approaches to dealing with armed groups. Left-wing senator Iván Cepeda is closely associated with President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” policy, which prioritises negotiations and dialogue with illegal armed organisations.
Supporters argue that negotiations help reduce bloodshed and create opportunities for long-term peace. Critics, however, contend that ceasefires have allowed criminal groups to strengthen their positions and expand territorial control. Cepeda has promised to review and adjust the current peace strategy while pursuing broader social reforms aimed at addressing the root causes of violence.
His opponent, Abelardo de la Espriella, has campaigned on a hard-line security platform. The conservative lawyer and businessman, known by supporters as “El Tigre,” has pledged to build 10 mega-prisons, strengthen military operations against armed groups and end negotiations with criminal organisations.
He has argued that armed groups should either surrender or face direct military action. Rising displacement and humanitarian concernsSecurity experts and government officials have expressed concern over a sharp increase in forced displacement.
According to Isabelita Mercado Pineda, a government adviser on peace and reconciliation in Bogotá, displacement increased by approximately 300 percent between 2024 and 2025. “We have not seen displacements like this for the last two decades,” she said.
Analysts attribute the surge to increased cocaine production, competition among armed groups for control of strategic territories and gaps left after the 2016 peace agreement that led to the demobilisation of thousands of FARC fighters.
Victims arriving at support centres in Bogotá continue to describe kidnappings, extortion, forced recruitment and violent territorial disputes. Erin Gamboa, who comes from the Chocó region, said his half-brother disappeared after being taken by armed fighters.
“My region is heavily contested,” he said. “Criminal gangs fight over the territory.”Election shaped by security fearsThe campaign itself has reflected the country’s security challenges, with reports of political violence, kidnappings, bombings and the assassination of a presidential candidate during the election period.
As Colombians head to the polls, many voters view the election as a choice between continued dialogue with armed groups or a tougher military approach. Whichever candidate prevails, addressing the country’s worsening security situation is expected to remain one of the most urgent challenges facing Colombia’s next government.
