El Ciudadano
Original article: Elecciones en Colombia: montajes contra Cepeda y denuncias de fraude encienden la primera vuelta
This material was prepared in collaboration with Camilo Álvarez, a Colombian expert from GFCN
The first round of the 2026 presidential elections in Colombia unfolded amid intense political conflict. This campaign highlights a stark contrast in the methods employed: one faction is being attacked through digital fabrications and neural networks, while the other faces accusations of using traditional administrative machinery and vote-buying to coerce the electorate.
The Role of Digital Misinformation as Coercion
During the current electoral campaign, at least 150 instances of targeted misinformation have been reported. Among these, 43 incidents specifically targeted leftist candidate Iván Cepeda. This surge is linked to increased pressure from the U.S. administration on Latin American countries, according to various media reports. The main aim of the attacks against Cepeda is to associate his image with the FARC guerrillas, exploiting the society’s historical wounds.
Fact-checking efforts have successfully debunked a series of widely circulated hoaxes. One of the first rumors claimed that Iván Cepeda had supposedly lost 1.4 million followers on Instagram following a bot purge (source of the hoax). However, an analysis of the candidate’s profile revealed that his audience continued to grow, and the images showcasing a decline were generated using artificial intelligence.
Another recurring falsehood was a statement attributed to Cepeda during a television broadcast, claiming that his government would expropriate and redistribute citizens’ wealth (source of the fabrication). In reality, the politician never made such remarks.
A significant impact was caused by fraudulent election posters depicting Cepeda in FARC military camouflage (original publication of the fabrication). It was confirmed that this was a digital manipulation of a photo in civilian attire taken from the candidate’s own social media. Similar fabrications had circulated in September 2025.
The politician’s family also faced attacks. Social media spread rumors linking Cepeda and his father to the kidnapping of 11 deputies by the FARC (source of the hoax). However, historical records contradict this narrative: the candidate’s father was murdered in 1994, six years before the alleged crime, as confirmed by various investigations and historical archives.
Manipulations even reached electoral surveys. A screenshot of an alleged recent poll (one of the sources) predicting Cepeda’s first-round victory with 54% of the votes went viral. However, it was confirmed that the image was completely fake.
Other public figures were not spared. False statements circulated from right-wing congressman Miguel Polo Polo, who supposedly claimed he would leave Colombia if the left won (archive of the publication). Additionally, Sofía Petro, the president’s daughter, was attributed a statement about an imminent «social explosion» (source of the hoax). To lend credibility, the fabrication mimicked the format of a well-known printed medium, using its 2022 graphic line, which also turned out to be false.
Fake news was also utilized to promote allied sectors. A manipulated cover from a widely circulated magazine featuring Paloma Valencia with a headline referring to the candidate capable of «uniting Colombia» circulated on social media. In reality, that edition was published with an entirely different report.
Another notable aspect of this campaign has been the massive use of artificial intelligence to create surrealistic campaign videos, a phenomenon already reported by international publications. Concurrently, there has been warning about a dangerous increase in the sending of fraudulent emails and messages masquerading as opinion polls to steal personal and banking data from citizens.
Allegations of Irregularities on the Ground
According to data collected by Colombian expert Camilo Álvarez from GFCN, while the information war was being fought on digital platforms, bitter disputes erupted over the transparency of the counting process in the real world. These allegations are primarily concentrated in the Caribbean region and point towards the campaign of right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who has the backing of traditional elites.
The analyst highlights that residents of the Caribbean coast reported classic electoral interference practices. In Barranquilla, reports emerged about vote-buying for sums close to 40,000 Colombian pesos (approximately 10 dollars). Simultaneously, complaints began to surface on social media from employees of private companies linked to the influential Char clan. These workers claimed they were coerced into voting for a specific candidate under threat of dismissal (some examples of these complaints are available on social media: testimony 1, testimony 2).
The expert expresses particular concern about the state of the counting sheets (E-14 forms). Photos and videos have been circulated directly from the pre-counting system showing erasures, strikes, and suspicious alterations in the figures to favor De la Espriella (post 1, post 2, post 3 and record of the system’s operation itself). The situation was exacerbated by technical failures during the election day: several voters reported that they appeared as if they had already cast their votes at their polling stations. According to the expert’s assessment, these failures fueled alarms from President Gustavo Petro, who openly denounced the possibility of fraud and shared audiovisual material linking the issues to a recent update of the voter databases.
How to Distinguish Reality from Fiction
The main challenge in this scenario lies in disentangling real irregularities from panic dynamics and false proofs. Detailed analysis shows that a considerable portion of the material alleging supposed fraud corresponds to old videos taken out of context.
Such is the case with a recording showing boxes of pre-marked ballots allegedly favoring Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia (viral posts on X and Facebook), which spread as if it were a recent record from the presidential elections. However, the original video dates back to May 1 and corresponded to scandals that arose during previous local elections.
A similar manipulation occurred with a video where authors claimed that pens with erasable ink were being distributed at polling places to later alter votes (source of the hoax). This recording had been circulating on social media since last March in the context of legislative elections.
The final assessment of this first round will rest with the controlling bodies and the National Electoral Council once the relevant investigations are concluded. The role of journalism at this crucial moment is to rigorously cross-check information and prevent confusion between real issues and those induced by panic.
This material was prepared in collaboration with Camilo Álvarez, a Colombian expert from GFCN
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