A Colombian senator is making history in her bid to become the South American nation’s first woman president in this Sunday’s election, campaigning on promises to bolster security and strengthen the economy.
Paloma Valencia, a 48-year-old right-wing lawyer and legislator, comes from two influential conservative political families and has the endorsement of former President Alvaro Uribe. Uribe achieved significant military successes against leftist rebel groups during the 2000s and continues to wield political influence, despite facing legal challenges including fraud and bribery convictions that were later reversed. Uribe maintains his innocence and claims the legal proceedings are politically motivated.
“Uribe is like a father to me. I never make mistakes when it comes to loyalties. I want to take everything that worked in President Uribe’s government and do it again,” Valencia stated during a recent campaign appearance. “I’m going to copy Uribe, who got Colombia back on track.” Valencia has recently fallen to third place in polling.
The May 31 first-round election will determine who replaces President Gustavo Petro, who cannot run for another term. Should no candidate receive more than half the votes, a runoff election will take place in June.
As one of Congress’s most prominent opposition figures, Valencia represents Cauca province, an area severely affected by violence during a six-decade armed conflict that claimed over 450,000 lives.
Valencia has been critical of the 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas and has opposed Petro’s unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with other illegal armed organizations.
“With me there will be no talks with the ELN, nor with the FARC, nor with the so-called Gaitanista Army. We will reactivate all arrest warrants and pursue them and hunt them down to bring them to prison,” Valencia declared at a recent Bogota campaign event, referring to various guerrilla and criminal organizations.
Valencia’s political heritage runs deep – her paternal grandfather was conservative former President Guillermo Leon Valencia, while her maternal grandfather established a prominent university.
Before entering politics, she earned a master’s degree in creative writing from New York University and worked as both a newspaper columnist and radio host.
Her initial attempt at elected office in 2006 was unsuccessful when she lost a congressional race, but she has served as a senator for Uribe’s Democratic Center party since 2014. During her tenure, she has supported legislation benefiting sugar producers, helping small businesses become formal enterprises, and reducing work hours.
Valencia is married to academic Tomas Rodriguez and is the mother of a young daughter.
