En cada campaña presidencial, una nación revela lo que verdaderamente valora. En Colombia, la ciencia, la tecnología y la innovación aparecen en los márgenes del debate electoral de 2026, tratadas como adornos del progreso en lugar de su arquitectura. Con apenas el 0,37% del PIB invertido en actividades científicas y un puesto 71 en innovación global, el país enfrenta una paradoja profunda: aspira a la sofisticación económica mientras deja sin cimientos la capacidad que la hace posible.
La Silla Vacía
· May 23, 2026
· governance
· 8 min read
High
Sourcing: Verified
Colombia's Presidential Candidates Treat Science as Campaign Afterthought
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Politics & Governance
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Bias & Framing
⚖
Article criticizes Colombian presidential candidates for neglecting science/technology policy, using data-driven framing to argue CTI is essential infrastructure rather than luxury.
Bias Direction
center-left
Confidence
HIGH
Expert authority framing combined with empirical evidence presentation. The article frames science policy as a foundational economic/social issue that candidates are ignoring, positioning the author as a concerned analyst presenting objective data rather than partisan critique.
invitadas de último minuto (last-minute guests - diminishing)
malentendido (misunderstanding - suggests candidates are wrong)
como si la ciencia fuera un lujo (as if science were a luxury - dismissive)
cayendo en el mismo error (falling into the same error - prescriptive)
brechas (gaps - problem-oriented language)
Candidate responses or rebuttals to the criticism
Arguments for why candidates might prioritize other issues
Perspectives from candidates who do address CTI (only Fajardo mentioned positively)
Budget/fiscal constraint perspectives on CTI investment
Voices from business sector or innovation practitioners defending current approaches
International comparison context (how other Latin American countries approach this)
Geopolitical Impact
🌎
Colombia's 2025 presidential candidates neglect science and innovation policy despite critical role in development, with only one candidate presenting comprehensive CTI strategy, risking long-term competitiveness.
Escalation Risk
low
Confidence
HIGH
Colombia
Latin America
Pacific region of Colombia
Domestic political fragmentation weakens Colombia's innovation capacity relative to regional competitors (Chile, Mexico, Brazil). Concentration of innovation in Bogotá and Antioquia exacerbates regional inequality and limits distributed economic power. Neglect of CTI signals potential shift away from knowledge-economy positioning toward short-term security/growth narratives.
Similar to 1990s Latin American campaigns that deprioritized education/innovation, later resulting in productivity gaps and regional brain drain that took decades to address.
Economic Lens
📈
Colombia's 2025 presidential candidates neglect science and technology policy despite their critical role in productivity, competitiveness, and economic transformation, with R&D investment at only 0.37% of GDP.
Market Signal
bearish
Confidence
HIGH
Manufacturing and industrial production
Technology and innovation
Education and human capital
Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
Security and defense
Energy sector
Regional development
Consumers face reduced access to innovative products and services, higher prices due to lower productivity, weaker competitiveness in global markets, and diminished quality improvements in healthcare, security, and education services.
Urgent need for comprehensive CTI strategy integration into national development plans; potential requirement for increased public R&D funding; risk of regulatory gaps in emerging technologies; possible need for innovation incentives and regional development programs to address geographic concentration of innovation capacity.