Wake up! We're going to lose the country.

By: Francisco Santos - 03/09/2025

I don't need to repeat how important the 2026 elections are. Today, I believe it's Gustavo Petro's Plan A, but let's not forget that he has a Plan B: staying in power. However, and this is very serious, I feel that the opposition is just waking up, on the one hand, and, on the other, is underestimating Petro and, even worse, his Interior Minister, Armando Bendetti. This latter aspect condemns us to failure, as it leads us to make wrong decisions and to not face what's coming as and when it's necessary.

No one is paying attention to the first step Petro and Benedetti have taken to stay in power. I never understood Petro's defense of his minister at that famous cabinet meeting. They had already planned what's coming next, which also has a very powerful incentive: to avoid paying for the crimes they've committed.

A few days ago, Benedetti made a comment at a political meeting with members of the opposition: "What are they going to say when we get 7 million votes in the referendum?" 7 million? Is it possible? The way they're setting it up, they're likely to deliver this brutal political coup. What's more, if it's 3 or 5 million votes, which is more likely, Petro and the Historic Pact will be left with a narrative of strength, a discourse of action, and possibly a candidate. Petro is campaigning for a candidate with 2 or 3 million votes, which is an unparalleled start to his campaign.

It's not that the candidates in the referendum are popular or have a strong following. No. They're going to buy at least 80 percent of the votes in the referendum. How so? First, Benedetti is an expert in these matters. He did it for Juan Manuel Santos in 2014 and for Petro in 2022. Now, with a president who brazenly puts state resources at the service of the political campaign, it's even easier. A few days ago, a well-known person who worked at an intervened EPS resigned because they were forced to give 10 percent of each contract signed to the campaign. Obviously, they asked me to keep their name confidential, as their life could be in danger. Can you imagine what's happening in other states?

It doesn't stop there. First, they're seeking mayors across the country to give them votes in exchange for projects they'll hand over after the elections and before the guarantees law is enacted. Second, they're renting out their political structures to traditional politicians, who obviously know how to buy and move votes, to achieve the 7 million votes Benedetti is seeking. Finally, the ranking of the Historic Pact Senate list, which will be a closed list, will be determined by the votes each candidate casts in the referendum. They'll be moving like crazy and mobilizing whatever they can, which will certainly add up.

We can't rule out what criminal organizations, which have benefited like never before—even more than under the government of Juan Manuel Santos—will do in this referendum. Obviously, the drug trafficking mafia will mobilize with money and pressure, just like their cronies in the FARC and ELN, who will do the same on their land. They already did it in 2022, as the leaders of these last two criminal organizations have publicly stated. They will do it again, without a doubt.

Petro is campaigning for María José Pizarro. In a meeting with a political leader from the coast, whom he doesn't like but needs, he asked for 200,000 votes for the senator. And the alleged fight with the former mayor of Medellín is aimed at mobilizing votes against him, especially in Antioquia, which will surely go to Pizarro. The reaction they want? I'll vote for anyone, except Quintero. That's how votes are moved too. I don't know if Iván Cepeda's campaign has the same objective.

Can you imagine a candidate with 3 million votes on October 26th? That completely changes the political landscape. The first effect is generating economic panic; business leaders who have held out until now in the face of the possibility of Petro II are going all out. The second is political panic that can't wait until December, much less March. Anyone who, as a candidate, confronts Petrism from October 27th onwards is going to capture all the public opinion.

What to do? Consult on the 26th, if time allows, from the entire center and center-right. Goodbye polls. Or else, an alternative mechanism that could be digital with all the necessary controls. Today, millions of Colombians want to express their rejection of the Petro disaster. Let's try to channel it. Let's make ourselves count and let's make ourselves heard.

Every time I walk around any city in the country, people ask me, "Who are we going to vote for?" It's time to give them a candidate and have one we can all support. A lot can be done in a month and a half, and all those candidates who only feed their egos should be put aside.

Let's trust in the value of the citizenry over the purchased vote. I'm sure we can show great strength. Saving the country requires it. Let's not hesitate any longer. A patriotic front to save Colombia with a candidate is what we all hope for. Now!

«The opinions published herein are the sole responsibility of its author».