Por qué la elección del Congreso es más importante de lo que los colombianos creemos

This Sunday, March 8, citizens will head to the polls to choose not only presidential candidates in internal consultations but also members of the Congress of the Republic. Despite the immense significance of this election, millions of citizens remain unaware of the role of the legislative power and the responsibilities involved in selecting its members.

The Congress is not a secondary venue in politics. It is where laws are crafted that direct the nation’s path, and it exercises political oversight over the government. In other words, it is one of the cornerstones of democratic balance as enshrined in the Constitution. When Congress functions effectively, public decisions reflect the needs and aspirations of society.

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However, the reality is far from this ideal. In many regions of the country, practices that distort democracy persist: vote buying, clientelism, and political machines turn elections into transactions of favors. In many places, these practices have become normalized, viewed as an inevitable part of the electoral process.

Additionally, there is an increasingly visible phenomenon: political polarization. Public debate has shifted from analyzing proposals to emotional confrontation between factions. The result is a citizenry that votes driven by sympathies or rejections rather than informed evaluations of candidates and their programs.

In some parts of the country, the situation is even more disturbing. Various illegal actors seek to influence local politics by promoting candidates who align with their interests. When this happens, democracy ceases to be a mechanism of citizen representation and becomes a tool serving individual interests.

Paradoxically, while Congress largely defines the country’s institutional trajectory, these elections often receive less attention than presidential ones. This year, the situation could worsen: inter-party consultations to choose candidates for the Presidency share the same electoral day and risk overshadowing the legislative election.

Moreover, the complexity of the electoral system does not help. For Congress, 100 senators and 188 representatives are elected from over 3000 candidates, with numerous lists and multiple constituencies — national, territorial, and special — making the process confusing for many voters. This difficulty, combined with political disillusionment, explains, in part, why more than half of the Colombian electorate tends to abstain from voting.

However, democracy is not strengthened by indifference. Every vote represents an opportunity to demand better political practices and more responsible representation. Choosing suitable congress members is crucial: the quality of our laws, power control, and the country’s institutional future largely depend on it.

Being informed, comparing proposals, and participating consciously in these elections is not just a citizen’s right; it is also a responsibility towards Colombian democracy.