Álvaro Uribe: “No ataquen a Paloma por mis errores, ella no los ha cometido”
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe is defending presidential candidate Paloma Valencia as she explores potential alliances, urging supporters not to blame her for his past mistakes. The move comes after Valencia won a key primary election on March 8, 2026, positioning her as a leading center-right contender in the upcoming presidential race.
In a video released Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Uribe described Valencia as a leader “with heart” and “maternal authority.” “Do not make the mistake of attacking Paloma for my errors, she has not committed them, she does not have my weariness,” he stated. “In what I may have been wrong, she corrects it. What quality we have done, she multiplies it. She knows how to incorporate the new.”
Despite his support for Valencia, Uribe reiterated his longstanding criticisms of the 2016 peace agreement, even as Valencia reportedly engages in negotiations with Juan Daniel Oviedo, who is advocating for its respect. Uribe insisted the accords granted “impunity,” provided political eligibility to former combatants, and created excessive “bureaucratic agencies.” He also claimed that the number of active combatants has increased in recent years, alongside a surge in coca cultivation and criminal gangs.
Uribe sought to nuance his position, emphasizing his consistent support for demobilized fighters and impoverished municipalities, regardless of the peace agreement. “Paloma has a great social proposal for the peasantry, that also includes the demobilized,” he said, despite acknowledged shortcomings in social programs during the presidency of his political ally, Iván Duque.
He also clarified that his criticisms of the peace process were not intended to lead to the imprisonment of former combatants, stating, “We see incredibly important to understand the impacts of the agreement.”
As Valencia prepares for another meeting with Oviedo, Uribe underscored her commitment to principle. “Paloma is a woman of principles, of convictions, coherent, not opportunistic,” he said. “Like a good legislator, she knows how to negotiate, seek options, and she has done so with different governments.” This message reinforces Valencia’s stated position that there are limits to what she is willing to concede in potential coalition talks.
