Uribista Honorio Henríquez elected Senate president with Petro's support, dealing blow to De la Espriella

In a 56-45 vote, the Senate elected Honorio Henríquez (Centro Democrático) as its president for the first year of the 2026-2030 legislature, marking an unprecedented alliance between the right-wing party of former president Álvaro Uribe and the left-wing Pacto Histórico of outgoing president Gustavo Petro. The result is a major early setback for president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, whose preferred candidate Alfredo Deluque (Partido de la U) lost despite initial expectations.

The vote

Henríquez secured 56 votes against Deluque's 45, with one blank vote Source: Portafolio. The victory hinged on the support of the Pacto Histórico, which provided crucial votes alongside smaller parties and dissident members of traditional parties Source: La República. The deal was reportedly coordinated directly between Uribe and Petro, uniting two rivals against De la Espriella's candidate Source: CNN Español.

Reactions

Uribe celebrated the outcome, calling Henríquez a "mesurado, transparente" citizen who guarantees democratic functioning Source: El Colombiano. De la Espriella, however, denied having backed Deluque, claiming his real candidate was Enrique Gómez, and that he respected the Senate's autonomy Source: La Silla Vacía. This contradicted earlier reports that his interior minister-designate Rodrigo Lara had lobbied for Deluque Source: El Colombiano. Pacto Histórico leaders stressed the support was not a formal coalition but a tactical move to block De la Espriella's influence Source: La Silla Vacía.

What's next

Henríquez, a 54-year-old lawyer from Santa Marta, has a legislative record of 36 laws passed and 176 bills filed Source: Portafolio. He pledged to maintain independence between branches and provide "ecuaminidad" for all parties Source: La República. The election signals that De la Espriella faces a divided Congress where the opposition—now including Uribe's party—can form surprising coalitions to challenge the executive.