Union Party for the People

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The Union Party for the People (Partido de la Unión por la Gente), or Party of the U, is a liberal political party in Colombia. It was founded in 2005 to unite Uribistas (supporters of former president Álvaro Uribe) into one party and to back the 2006 presidential bid. Most members came from the Liberal Party, though not all Uribistas joined (Radical Change did not).

Led by former president Juan Manuel Santos, the party’s ideology includes social liberalism and the Third Way, and it is generally seen as centrist. Its color is orange and its headquarters are in Bogotá.

In elections, the Party of the U has held seats in Congress. In 2010, Santos was elected president with the party’s support, and the party won a significant number of Senate seats. In 2012, Uribe and his allies formed the Democratic Center, creating a split in the Uribe-leaning camp. The party backed Santos again in 2014, helping him win reelection.

In 2021, leaders from various parties formed the Historic Pact for Colombia. After Gustavo Petro won the presidency in 2022, the Party of the U allied with the Liberal and Conservative parties and joined Petro’s broader coalition.

Since 2012 the party has been an observer member of the Liberal International, an international group of liberal parties.