Political strategies shift toward digital emotions and social media

Political strategist Carlos Suárez, who also serves as the chairman of Ecopetrol, detailed how social media and short-form video content were central to Abelardo De la Espriella’s presidential campaign. Speaking at the 2026 Colombian Construction Congress in Cartagena, Suárez argued that modern elections are no longer won through technical documents or traditional opinion columns.

Instead, Suárez stated that success now depends on understanding citizen emotions and utilizing algorithms to create narratives that connect with collective purposes. He noted that the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ has shifted electoral disputes to digital platforms, where rapid, unfiltered communication and short videos dictate the pace of political persuasion.