Coffee, Cocoa Regions at Center of Colombia’s Security Debate Ahead of Congressional Elections
Coffee Network (Bogotá) – Conservative candidates in Colombia’s upcoming congressional elections have pledged to restore state control across large parts of the country, arguing that President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” security policy has led to a deterioration of public order, particularly in agricultural regions such as coffee- and cocoa-producing areas.
Several Senate and House of Representatives candidates said they intend to strengthen public order by reinforcing the security forces. They argue that the government’s peace strategy has allowed illegal armed groups to reassert control over rural areas that were previously relatively stable.
On 8 March, Colombians will vote for 100 Senate seats from a field of 1,097 candidates, in addition to two indigenous-reserved seats contested by 27 candidates. For the House of Representatives, 2,107 candidates are competing for 187 seats. On the same day, three political blocs — right, left, and center — will also hold presidential primaries.
Far-right presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella will not participate in a primary, as he is running independently. According to a Guarumo-Ecoanalítica poll, he ranks second in voting intention with 22%. Left-wing Senator Iván Cepeda leads with 31.7% and is widely viewed as the continuity candidate of President Petro, although he is considered more ideologically radical by his critics.
However, a previous AtlasIntel poll conducted between 27 January and 4 February among 7,298 adults showed de la Espriella was leading with 32.1%, followed by Cepeda with 26.5%.
The newly elected Congress will take office on 7 August alongside the next president. Colombia’s first round of presidential elections is scheduled for 31 May.
Security and “Total Peace” Under Scrutiny
Enrique Gómez, the lead Senate candidate for the Salvación Nacional party and backed by de la Espriella, said Colombia’s primary challenge is restoring operational control nationwide and reinforcing public order through stronger security forces.
According to Gómez, Colombia has experienced worsening security conditions and a strengthening of illegal armed groups under the government’s “Total Peace” framework.
Crime data appear to support concerns over public safety. Homicides reached 6,642 cases between January and June 2025, a 3% increase from the 6,442 reported during the same period in 2024, according to Defense Ministry figures cited by Insight Crime.
Kidnappings also increased, with 121 cases reported in the first half of 2025 compared with 108 a year earlier. While the number of incidents rose 12%, the number of victims surged 53%, from 129 in 2024 to 198 this year.
Insight Crime said the figures reflect growing instability in rural areas and highlight the difficulties facing Petro’s “Total Peace” initiative in curbing violence and organized crime.
A coffee grower operating in Antioquia — Colombia’s second-largest coffee-producing department — said he has been forced to pay extortion fees to guerrilla groups operating near his farm close to the Ituango hydroelectric project to transport coffee beans to ports.
Coffee Sector Proposals
Former senator Alejandro Corrales, a long-time advocate for the coffee sector, is currently coordinating political efforts in his department and supporting Senate candidate Fernán Fortich of the Salvación Nacional party.
Fortich has proposed a coffee plantation renovation program financed equally by government funds and the National Federation of Coffee Growers, an initiative that would require congressional approval, Corrales said.
He has also called for an emergency plan to improve tertiary roads and for temporary quarry permits to be authorized through expedited environmental licensing in order to secure construction materials. In addition, he proposes legislation to establish mandatory accident insurance for farms.
Carlos Arturo López has quietly confirmed his Senate bid under the Nuevo Liberalismo party as part of the Ahora Colombia coalition. In the region, he is known for his involvement in Dignidad Cafetera and his advocacy for coffee growers and military veterans, particularly in defense of healthcare rights.
“We are once again facing a coffee crisis. We are a coffee-producing department, but the so-called ‘boom’ is over — in quotation marks — because we never truly experienced one. What we have faced are daily hardships. Coffee producers retain less than 10% of the value chain,” López said.
Juan Felipe Lemos, who is seeking reelection to the Senate and represents the coffee-producing region of southeastern Antioquia, is calling for stronger agricultural financing mechanisms and expanded banking support for growers.
By Diana Delgado
Interviews with candidates and published polls.
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