Former Valle del Cauca Governor Clara Luz Roldán Enters Cali Mayoral Race for La U

After months of rumors, former Valle del Cauca governor Clara Luz Roldán has entered the race for mayor of Cali. The current co-director of the Party of La U announced her candidacy on Sept. 4, saying she would seek the city’s top post in the 2027 elections.

Roldán presented her government record as the foundation of her campaign. She said she had the experience and social-service vocation needed to lead Cali, and described her political career as transparent, with “a clean record and no investigations.”

She compared Cali’s difficult social situation and reconstruction needs with the circumstances she faced after taking office as governor. Only days after her inauguration, she said, she had to confront a global pandemic. She recalled winning more than 953,000 votes in that election, defeating candidates including former Labor Minister Griselda Janeth Restrepo, Mónica Gaitán and Francisco Lourido.

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a clean record and no investigations

Roldán said she remained optimistic because social sectors had united to help people in need during that earlier crisis. She also said current leaders had faced greater difficulty because of the earthquake’s destruction. She praised President Abelardo de la Espriella and his administration, Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder, and Governor Dilian Francisca Toro for their response to the emergency.

Making the case for her candidacy, Roldán said she had executed 95 percent of the Valle del Cauca development plan budget and argued that Cali needs four years to recover. She also said she had delivered more than 2,000 public works projects, including projects linked to the Central American Games in Barranquilla, the Bolivarian Games in Santa Marta and the World Games in Cali. “To govern a city, you have to show that you can execute and that you have experience,” she said. “I have management and results to show.”

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To govern a city, you have to show that you can execute and that you have experience. I have management and results to show.