President Petro's forceful message to his party regarding Daniel Quintero's presence at the Historic Pact consultation / In Secret

This week, during a meeting between President Gustavo Petro and the Historic Pact faction to discuss various issues, including the 2026 elections, the president issued a forceful statement regarding the criticism surrounding the presence of former Medellín mayor Daniel Quintero at the leftist referendum, which will take place in October.

"If you're so worried, unite and defeat him," the president said. Within the Pact, several members are still considering withdrawing their candidacy and joining Iván Cepeda to avoid dividing the vote and diminishing Quintero's chances. Among other things, they criticize him for not having a long history in that party, in addition to his alleged involvement in corruption scandals.

Regarding the Historic Pact, the number of presidential candidates who registered to participate in the October referendum is striking. The public knows about 11 of them, but a total of 26 registered. There are even names that a large part of the membership doesn't know. Internal registrations closed yesterday, and 150 candidates are running for the Senate and 300 for the House of Representatives.

The election of the new Constitutional Court judge, which will be held this Wednesday in the Senate, would bring President Petro and the governor of Valle del Cauca, Dilian Francisco Toro , together again. The president asked his party to vote for María Patricia Balanta , who would also have the support of the governor, who continues to have a significant influence on the U party. Meanwhile, the opposition, conservatives, and a good number of liberals and others from the U party would support Carlos Camargo , who continues to lead.

Attorney Mauricio Pava accepted former President Álvaro Uribe's request to issue a legal opinion regarding the first-instance conviction. The former president's defense remains led by Jaime Granados and Jaime Lombana, but Pava will provide his opinion regarding any appeal filed before the Supreme Court, once the Bogotá court's second-instance ruling is known. Pava's opinion will focus on 13 points that, for the defense, are central to the case, including the client-attorney relationship between Álvaro Uribe and Diego Cadena, the wiretaps of the former president, and the evidentiary assessments made in the conviction.

On Wednesday, an event was held at the Universidad de los Andes with a striking invitation. The discussion focused on judicial rulings and the clear language that should be promoted when drafting them, in connection with the first-instance ruling against Uribe. The name of Sandra Liliana Heredia, the judge who sentenced the former president, caught the eye on the panel. Expectations for her presence were high until the last minute, but she did not arrive. It was reported that she did not attend due to medical incapacity.

During the UN Peacebuilding Commission's visit to Colombia to assess the progress of the implementation of the agreement with the former FARC guerrilla group, Elizabeth Spehar, Undersecretary General for Peacebuilding Support, reiterated her support for the process. She did so from the former Tierra Grata training and reintegration center in Cesar. From there, they highlighted how this center is an example of peace and commitment from all signatory parties, especially the former combatants.