Radical Change
Radical Change (Spanish: Cambio Radical) is a conservative liberal political party in Colombia founded on January 15, 1998, by politicians who defected from the Liberal Party in protest against its alleged links to drug trafficking.[1] The party was officially registered under its current name on July 5, 2000, and has positioned itself as centrist to center-right, emphasizing economic liberalism and serving as a coalition partner across administrations.[1][2] Key figures include Germán Vargas Lleras, a former leader who served as Vice President from 2010 to 2017 under President Juan Manuel Santos and ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2014.[3] The party achieved electoral success by supporting Álvaro Uribe's 2002 presidential campaign, securing five Senate seats and ten House seats, and later expanding to 15 Senate and 21 House seats in 2006.[1] It participated in the Coalition of National Unity under Santos, backing his 2014 re-election and the 2012 FARC peace negotiations, though it later experienced seat losses and internal divisions.[1] Controversies have included the 2006 arrest of eight congressmen for alleged ties to paramilitary groups during the "parapolitics" scandal, as well as investigations into Vargas Lleras for paramilitary connections, from which he was cleared by the Supreme Court in 2013.[1] As of 2025, the party faces internal rebellions amid opposition to President Gustavo Petro's government and efforts to unify center-right forces for the 2026 elections.[4][3]