Colombian Candidates Clash on Social Media Over Unheld Presidential Debate

Colombian presidential candidates Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda are locked in an intense social media battle over a debate that has yet to materialize. Following the first round of elections, where De la Espriella secured 10.3 million votes and Cepeda garnered 9.6 million, the prospect of a televised debate became a focal point.

Cepeda initiated the call for a debate on proposals and government plans shortly after the election results. However, De la Espriella's response was to challenge Cepeda to acknowledge the results first. This exchange escalated into a week-long war of words on social media, marked by insults and a failure to reach any agreement on holding the debate.

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The debate is between you and me. Colombians have the right to hear directly from those aspiring to govern them, without intermediaries or spokespersons.

Cepeda has urged De la Espriella not to hide behind his vice-presidential running mate, José Manuel Restrepo, and to commit to a direct confrontation. "The debate is between you and me. Colombians have the right to hear directly from those aspiring to govern them, without intermediaries or spokespersons," Cepeda stated, emphasizing that presidential debates are traditionally held between the presidential aspirants themselves.

De la Espriella retorted by accusing Cepeda of evading the debate since October and hiding behind President Gustavo Petro. He alleged that Petro leads a "mafia" that coerced votes in the first round and is now threatening voters who might support De la Espriella in the second round. De la Espriella had proposed a debate organized by the magazine Semana, which Cepeda declined. Instead, Cepeda requested private channels RCN and Caracol, along with public broadcaster RTVC, to organize a debate between the two candidates.

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From October I have been challenging you to debate and you hid behind your guerrilla warfare formula: shoot from where you cannot be seen, camouflaged behind your tutor, (President Gustavo) Petro, your boss; the boss of the mafia and the criminals who forced people to vote for you in the first round and who are now threatening those who intend to vote for me in the second.