Juan Carlos Pinzón officially announced his candidacy with the endorsement of Oxígeno, Ingrid Betancourt's party: 'Today the country is run by people whose objective is destruction'

Juan Carlos Pinzón continues his campaign moves ahead of the 2026 presidential elections. After a months-long tour of different regions of Colombia and even other countries, the former minister received the endorsement of the Oxígeno party, led by Ingrid Betancourt.

He did so at an event in Bogotá attended by family members, supporters, reservists, and the media. It should be noted that Pinzón had also met with political leaders such as former President Álvaro Uribe in August.

Ingrid Betancourt Pulecio, leader of the Oxygen Party, began her justification for endorsing Pinzón by confronting sectors loyal to the government of President Gustavo Petro: "We must give our nation a leader who can save it (...) who can bring together everyone from those of [Sergio] Fajardo to those of Abelardo [De la Espriella]."

Later, he reiterated that his group is seeking an alliance for a potential primary in March or for the first round of the presidential election. He extended an invitation to "all those opposed to Petro," stating that holding such a position against President Petro is "a red line."

For his part, Pinzón thanked Betancourt, whom he described as "a symbol of the nation who refused to let his dignity be trampled." He continued with a speech focused on security, order, and justice, stating that the Oxygen party has "defenders of order, democracy, and freedom, who love their Military and Police Forces."

The candidate added that "we are going through one of the worst crises in our history," and at that moment he mentioned Miguel Uribe Turbay: "I will work to make him a remembered hero," he said.

The former minister also stated that "we cannot allow this barbaric agenda to continue to be our guiding principle (...) Today, the fate of our nation is being controlled by people whose objective is destruction." He then praised former President Álvaro Uribe's democratic security policy, as well as the "sacrifice made by the Armed Forces."

He added that what Colombia needs is "an iron fist against crime and terror, but a heart full of love for the country" and that, if he were president, he would call up the reserves for active duty , "something that hasn't been done since 1986."

Pinzón has been active on social media, not only with his public statements but also with his advertisements. In fact, on Monday, October 27, he released a video showing him in various locations throughout Colombia.

Furthermore, he recently returned from a tour of the United States where he sought to ease tensions stemming from exchanges between President Gustavo Petro and President Donald Trump. During the event, Pinzón even stated that if elected president , "Colombia will have the best relationship it has had with the United States in 205 years."

Pinzón is an economist from Javeriana University in Bogotá, specializing in financial management and public policy. He served as Minister of Defense and ambassador to the United States during the administration of Juan Manuel Santos. In 2018, he became president of ProBogotá, a position he held until 2021, when Iván Duque reappointed him as ambassador to the United States.

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