(29 May 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bogota, Colombia - 29 May 202
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Megan Janetsky, Associated Press journalist:
"Colombia is voting in its first round of presidential elections over the weekend in a race that has candidates grappling with the larger question of how to consolidate peace. So a decade after Colombia signed a historic peace agreement with FARC rebels, conflict here is only mounting. Colombian voters will choose between two radically diverging paths for how to address the problem. So the election comes as US President Donald Trump has pressured Latin American nations to more aggressively go after organized crime groups, but that has raised criticisms that such an approach has historically bred more violence. Ivan Cepeda, an ally of President Gustavo Petro, has promised to push forward the president's ambitious total peace plan to negotiate peace pacts with a slate of armed groups, even though that plan has largely failed so far."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Suba, Colombia - 17 May 2026
2. Various of opposition candidate Paloma Valencia at a public campaign event

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Medellín, Colombia - 13 May 2026
3. Various of opposition candidate Abelardo de la Espriella greeting supporters

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bogota, Colombia - 28 May 2026
4. Various of left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda at news conference

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bogota, Colombia - May 29, 2026
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Megan Janetsky, Associated Press journalist:
"Candidates Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia have vowed to come down on armed groups with a heavier hand. Espriella, a Trump admirer, has openly embraced El Salvador's war on gangs, which has sharply dipped homicides but has also fueled accusations of human rights abuses. To win the first round of elections, one candidate must win half of the votes. If not, the two leaders will continue on to a second round later this month in an election with implications for the political trajectory of Latin America."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Bogota, Colombia - 26 May 2026
6. Various of billboards displaying campaign material for leading presidential candidates
7. Various of people on streets




STORYLINE:
Colombia is voting in its first round of presidential elections over the weekend in a race that has candidates grappling with the larger question of how to consolidate peace.

So a decade after Colombia signed a historic peace agreement with FARC rebels, conflict here is only mounting.

Colombian voters will choose between two radically diverging paths for how to address the problem.

So the election comes as US President Donald Trump has pressured Latin American nations to more aggressively go after organized crime groups, but that has raised criticisms that such an approach has historically bred more violence.

Ivan Cepeda, an ally of President Gustavo Petro, has promised to push forward the president's ambitious total peace plan to negotiate peace pacts with a slate of armed groups, even though that plan has largely failed so far.

Candidates Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia have vowed to come down on armed groups with a heavier hand.

Espriella, a Trump admirer, has openly embraced El Salvador's war on gangs, which has sharply dipped homicides but has also fueled accusations of human rights abuses. To win the first round of elections, one candidate must win half of the votes.

If not, the two leaders will continue on to a second round later this month in an election with implications for the political trajectory of Latin America.




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