The international tour script
Iván Cepeda already has his second act at the National Palace of Mexico. The Colombian senator and presidential candidate sat down with Claudia Sheinbaum again this week. The photo repeats itself, the script too.
In networks, the Historical Pact politician was direct: he conveyed to the president “the recognition and admiration that she enjoys in Colombia.” He appreciated the “constructive meeting” after his Easter visit. Sounds like a chancery speech, right?
“I thank the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, for the constructive meeting we held at the conclusion of my visit to her country the previous week”
But here’s the interesting thing: this has already happened. In November of last year, same scenario, same message about the “recognition” that Sheinbaum provokes in Colombia. When a politician repeats exactly the same phrases for two different meetings, one begins to wonder what is behind the script.
The route to 2026
Cepeda is not improvising. This is campaign foreign policy, pure and simple. First Lula da Silva in Brasilia in March. Now Sheinbaum for the second time. All leaders related to the government of Gustavo Petro.
He is building his photo album with the heavyweights of the regional left. Every handshake is a message to the Colombian electorate: “Look who I associate with.”
The personal context weighs. Iván Cepeda is the son of Manuel Cepeda Vargas, leader of the Patriotic Union assassinated in 1994. That past marks any international projection he makes.
The goal is clear: win the first presidential round on May 31, 2026. These meetings are bricks to build credibility towards that objective. Sheinbaum already gave him an appointment twice. Someone in Mexico thinks it’s worth listening to.
