Presidential candidate and leader of Partido de la U, Juan Manuel Santos, firmly ruled out any possibility of a coalition between his party and the scandal-ridden Partido de Integracion Nacional (PIN), despite recent speculation to the contrary, reports El Espectador.
After holding a party meeting, Santos – who is the front-runner for the upcoming presidential election – announced that rumors of a coalition between the two political parties were incorrect and unfounded.
Speculative reports of a potential deal between the parties appeared in Colombian media some days ago when former senator Rodrigo Rivera Salazar was appointed as an electoral advisor for the Partido de la U, despite previously being nominated as the preferred presidential candidate for the PIN.
There was strong opposition to the potential coalition from Partido de la U supporters, who criticized the PIN’s ties to politicians jailed for parapolitics.
Colombia is preparing for its presidential elections, which will take place on May 30.