Senator and presidential candidate Iván Cepeda denounced the dissemination of an altered photograph of himself in camouflage uniform, resembling a member of the FARC. The publication was attributed to political analyst Pedro Viveros, who shared the image as part of a campaign calling for reflection on political extremes.
Cepeda called the publication an attack on his honor and warned that he will file a criminal complaint against Viveros for slander if he does not present evidence supporting the authenticity of the image. The controversy escalated on social media and on a billboard where the photo was displayed alongside that of another candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella.
Viveros responded that he was not responsible for the manipulation and that his intention was to generate a debate about political options in Colombia. He stated that he is not seeking to damage Cepeda's reputation and that his criticism is focused on avoiding what he considers "the trap of extremes."
The incident occurred in the midst of the election campaign and highlights the impact of altered images on political debate. Cepeda, known for his defense of human rights, insisted that such actions can cause misinformation and seriously affect democratic debate.
Sources cited:
1) Infobae. *Iván Cepeda explodes over the publication of an altered photo in which he appears in guerrilla gear: “I will file a criminal complaint.”* https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2025/09/20/ivan-cepeda-estallo-por-publicacion-de-foto-alterada-en-la-que-aparece-con-traje-de-guerrillero-denunciare-penalmente/
2) Publimetro. *Iván Cepeda complained about a doctored photo of himself dressed as a guerrilla fighter.* https://www.publimetro.co/bogota/2025/09/20/ivan-cepeda-se-quejo-por-foto-suya-alterada-que-le-publicaron-vestido-de-guerrillero/
3) X (formerly Twitter). Statement by Iván Cepeda. https://x.com/IvanCepedaCast/status/1969180759190872503