Colombia announces security reinforcement for candidates in the 2026 electoral elections

Published at: 26/08/2025 11:11 AM

Last Monday, the Government of Colombia reported that it doubled security measures for presidential candidates and congressmen ahead of the 2026 elections, in order to shield the democratic process after the assassination of senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay.

The Colombian Defense Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced that the protection capacity “went from 229 to 520 police officers and members of the National Protection Unit (UNP)”, in addition to the deployment of “6,351 police officers and 96 Army platoons to ensure security in the regions.”

“The commitment is to ensure that the democratic exercise takes place in safe conditions. We have doubled the schemes and reinforced our territorial presence,” said Sánchez after holding a meeting of the Committee for the Recommendation of Electoral Protection Measures (CORMPE), created in 2023 to ensure the safety of candidates in all electoral processes in the country.

For his part, the Minister of the Interior, Armando Benedetti, added that the presidential candidates currently have 194 UNP officials, 326 police officers, 32 conventional vehicles, 75 armored vehicles and 56 protective vests.

“Today we can tell the country that presidential candidates have real guarantees. Our commitment is to protect democracy,” Benedetti said.

Mazo News Team