Political violence had been building before the election; reports described homicides, kidnappings, and death threats targeting politicians ahead of earlier 2026 voting .
After the runoff, outgoing President Gustavo Petro alleged electoral fraud and accused opponents of vote-buying; there were also claims about foreign meddling, including accusations involving Israel .
Election observers from the International Republican Institute said the runoff occurred amid insecurity and polarization, but their preliminary statement also described significant voter participation and did not characterize the process as a complete breakdown .
So your friend may mean “bad” in the sense that it was extremely polarized, violent, and disputed — not necessarily that there is confirmed proof the election was stolen. The strongest cautious summary is: Colombia’s 2026 election was peaceful enough to proceed, but politically ugly, security-heavy, and followed by serious but still contested allegations.