Colombia's De la Espriella backs Deluque and Barguil for Senate and House presidencies

Negotiations among Colombia's political parties have produced a tentative arrangement for the leadership of the Congress in the first year of President‑elect Abelardo De la Espriella’s administration. The governing coalition is expected to support Alfredo Deluque of the Party of the U for the presidency of the Senate, while Nicolás Barguil of the Conservative Party is slated to become president of the Chamber of Representatives.

The deal sidelines the Centro Democrático, which had initially positioned Daniel Briceño for the Chamber and Honorio Henríquez for the Senate. Under a four‑year rotation plan, the Chamber presidency would pass from the Conservatives to the Liberal Party, then to the Centro Democrático, and finally to Cambio Radical. The Centro Democrático and its leader Álvaro Uribe have criticised the arrangement, warning that the government‑backed candidates could consolidate power for the ruling coalition.

If the agreements are ratified when Congress convenes on 20 July, the Centro Democrático would be without a top congressional post during the first legislative year, reshaping the balance of power among Colombia’s right‑wing parties.