MOE: 139 Municipalities at Extreme Electoral Risk; 63 Campaign Incidents Across 21 Departments

Colombia's Electoral Observation Mission (Misión de Observación Electoral, MOE) classified 139 municipalities as facing extreme electoral risk five days before the May 31 presidential vote, citing armed group territorial control, voter intimidation, and coordinated disinformation campaigns. Between December 18, 2025 and May 21, 2026, the MOE documented 63 incidents affecting political campaigns across 21 departments. Antioquia, Norte de Santander, Bogotá, and Santander accounted for 57% of all incidents. All three leading candidates — Iván Cepeda (left), Paloma Valencia (right-center), and Abelardo de la Espriella (right) — reported campaign staff threats, headquarters attacks, and candidate-targeting events. Armed groups including the ELN, FARC Estado Mayor Central, and Clan del Golfo were identified as actively influencing electoral dynamics in regions under their territorial control, with the MOE warning that the conditions for a genuinely free vote did not exist in significant portions of the country.