On 8 March, Colombians voted in primaries and congressional elections — electing candidates for 102 Senate seats, 182 House seats. Turnout in the election was notably low but marked a slight increase from the 2022 elections. Colombia's leftist ruling party, the Pacto Histórico, won the majority of seats in the Senate — 4.3 million votes (22.8 per cent) that translates to 25 seats. They were followed by the rightwing Centro Democrático which increased its representation to 17 seats in the Senate, with 15.6 per cent of the vote. But neither secured a majority, highlighting the fragmented nature of Colombia's political landscape. The next president, whoever it is, will have to negotiate with lawmakers to push through a legislative agenda. Richard McColl of Colombia Calling and Adriaan Alsema of Colombia Reports discussed the results on this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast. The Colombia Briefing by Emily Hart is for subscribers only this week.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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