Las entrevistas de Julio Sánchez Cristo · Julio Sánchez Cristo y Caracol Pódcast

Paloma Valencia: “No hablo con Abelardo ni antes ni ahora”

·29 min·2 clips

Paloma Valencia responds to Iván Cepeda's demand for proof after she accused him of threatening her life.

1. Las entrevistas de Julio Sánchez Cristo features Colombian Senator and presidential candidate Paloma Valencia discussing the 2026 presidential race. 2. Host Julio Sánchez Cristo leads the conversation alongside co-hosts Marcela and Juan Pablo; Valencia holds a seat in the Colombian Senate representing the Centro Democrático party. 3. The episode's central question is whether Valencia can build a broad coalition to defeat left-wing rival Iván Cepeda without losing her uribista identity or her new centrist running mate Juan Daniel Oviedo. 4. Valencia says she does not believe Cepeda can win in the first round, and argues his candidacy would move Colombia toward autocracy by capturing the Constitutional Court, the Bank of the Republic, and the military through further purges of generals. 5. On political clans and party alliances, she says any party or individual is welcome in her campaign as long as they have 'no blood on their hands and no link to corruption.' 6. She dismisses concerns about the Partido de la U's support, saying her campaign is not negotiating positions—it is focused only on winning and governing Colombia. 7. Valencia accuses Cepeda of having close ties to illegal armed groups, claiming that these groups 'ask Colombians at gunpoint to vote for Cepeda' in territorial zones. 8. When asked about her statement 'don't send me to be killed' directed at Cepeda in the Senate, she clarifies it was a plea, not an accusation, and cites the Marquetalia splinter group's origins in the legal theory Cepeda advanced to release Iván Márquez and Santrich. 9. She names four 'bombs to deactivate': Colombia's fiscal crisis, an energy shortage threatening blackouts in October-November, a security crisis recalling past violence levels, and a health system crisis leaving nearly 10 million procedures delayed. 10. On peace policy, she argues the country must restore 'legality'—ending the pattern of rewarding criminals while 16 million Colombians live in poverty—rather than renaming peace initiatives. 11. On the economy, Valencia says Colombia is surviving on four 'lotteries': cocaine production at 3,700 metric tons (versus 200 in the Escobar era), gold at $5,000 per troy ounce being exported by the ton, $15 billion in remittances, and a record coffee harvest—none of which reflect industrial investment or productivity. 12. She says when a government sees its policy failures—record Cauca homicides, renewed kidnapping—and continues the same policy, 'it is not a mistake, it is a plan.' 13. When host Julio Sánchez Cristo asks about the Medellín business community privately admitting strong earnings under Petro, Valencia attributes this to illicit money flowing through consumer commerce rather than genuine economic reform. 14. On Alejandro Gaviria, former Petro health minister, she says he is welcome in her campaign: 'I don't see blood on his hands, I don't see corruption.' 15. On Roy Barreras, she sidesteps by noting he already said he would not join, which she says relieves her of having to refuse him. 16. On her relationship with former president Álvaro Uribe, she says she will 'die a uribista' but will govern independently, and describes the dual criticism she faces—some say Uribe will control her, others say she will betray him—as evidence she is in a balanced position. 17. The interview is conducted in a direct, fast-paced format with three hosts pressing her simultaneously; Valencia's tone is combative but articulate, frequently deploying specific statistics to rebut characterizations. 18. The energy is that of a high-stakes political confrontation, with hosts challenging her on alliances, personal accusations, and ideological contradictions. 19. Colombians interested in the 2026 presidential race and the contest between democratic-center and left-populist visions will find this most useful. 20. Listeners unfamiliar with Colombian politics or uninterested in alliance mechanics and internal party maneuvering will likely find it difficult to follow.

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