The League of Anti-Corruption Governors (; LIGA) is a Colombian political movement, created in October 2019 by the former mayor of Bucaramanga, Rodolfo Hernández Suárez, and by the candidates for the 2020–2023 municipal council. It was conceived as an independent civic alternative to traditional political parties and ideologies, with the purpose of reaching the presidency of the republic in the 2022 election. Earlier, in the 2015 local elections, Rodolfo Hernández managed to reach the Mayor's Office of Bucaramanga through an independent candidacy via the "Movimiento Cívico Lógica Etica y Estética", previously founded by Hernández to support his political campaign. In May 2022, Hernández finished in second place in the first round of the presidential elections, proceeding to the second round against Gustavo Petro. He finished in second place in the second round as well.
History
Formation and 2022 elections The League of Anti-Corruption Governors originated from the Civic Movement "Logic, Ethics, and Aesthetics" (Movimiento Cívico Lógica, Ética y Estética), an independent initiative established in 2015 to support civil engineer Rodolfo Hernández Suárez's successful mayoral campaign in Bucaramanga. In October 2019, Hernández formalized the movement alongside candidates for the Bucaramanga municipal council. The movement's platform centered on anti-corruption policies and fiscal austerity, aiming to serve as the political vehicle for his 2022 presidential bid.
For the 2022 Colombian presidential election, the movement registered Hernández and academic Marelen Castillo as his vice-presidential running mate via signature collection. Campaigning heavily on social media under the slogan "Don't steal, don't lie, don't betray" (No robar, no mentir, no traicionar), the ticket advanced to the second round. On June 19, 2022, they were defeated by Gustavo Petro of the Historic Pact for Colombia coalition, receiving over 10.5 million votes.
As the runner-up ticket, the Colombian Opposition Statute granted Hernández a seat in the Senate of Colombia and Castillo a seat in the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. Following these results, the National Electoral Council (CNE) officially granted the movement legal status (personería jurídica) as a political party on August 4, 2022.
Internal division and 2023 regional elections In September 2022, a dispute within the party leadership resulted in the exclusion of Castillo and other elected representatives from the party's constituent assembly and foundational statutes.During this period, the party formally declared itself in political opposition to the Petro administration.
Hernández resigned from his Senate seat in October 2022 to campaign for the governorship of Santander Department in the 2023 Colombian regional elections.However, the CNE revoked his candidacy in September 2023 due to three previous disciplinary sanctions issued by the Office of the Inspector General of Colombia, rendering him legally disqualified from holding public office. The party's political director, Camilo Larios, attempted to file legal injunctions (acciones de tutela) to protect Hernández's political rights and suspend the ruling, but the disqualification was upheld.
Hernández's death and reorganization (2024–2026) On March 14, 2024, Hernández was convicted in the first instance of the crime of undue interest in the celebration of contracts. The conviction was related to the "Vitalogic" case, which involved irregularities in waste management consulting contracts during his mayoral term in Bucaramanga. During the trial hearings, he publicly disclosed a terminal colon cancer diagnosis. Following medical complications, Hernández died on September 2, 2024, at the Hospital Internacional de Colombia in Piedecuesta at age 79, leaving the party without its founder and central figure.
Following Hernández's death, Camilo Andrés Larios Álvarez assumed the national leadership in 2025. The party underwent an internal restructuring, rebranding as a "Citizen Platform" (Plataforma Ciudadana). The organization focused its activities on political education programs and digital citizen oversight initiatives, such as "Legislative Control" (Control Legislativo), to monitor public contracting.
Party status
Hernández submitted an application with the National Electoral Council (CNE) on 19 July 2022 for LIGA to be granted legal status as a political party. In the submission, Hernández emphasised his presidential ticket's second place in the presidential election and how he and Castillo had taken their respective seats in the senate and chamber of representatives reserved for the second place presidential and vice presidential candidates. He also mentioned LIGA's convention, which declared its opposition to the government of Gustavo Petro. The CNE granted legal party status to LIGA on 4 August, and Hernández became the party's president. He appointed his wife, Socorro Oliveros as national director.
Electoral history
Presidential elections Election year Candidate Running mate First round Second round Result Votes % Votes % 2022 Rodolfo Hernández Suárez Marelen Castillo 5,965,335 28.17 10,580,412 47.31 Lost Sources: La Registraduria Prensa (First round), Registraduria (Second round)
References