Colombia’s elephant-costumed anti-corruption activist sworn in as senator
Luis Carlos Rúa, known as Elefante blanco, was sworn in as a Colombian senator while wearing his distinctive white elephant costume. He revealed his identity three days before the election after campaigning anonymously to expose corrupt public works. His election highlights the impact of social‑media‑driven anti‑corruption activism on Colombian politics.
- ▪Rúa ran his campaign anonymously and disclosed his identity only three days before the vote.
- ▪He used the elephant costume to draw attention to wasteful public projects, posting videos that led to some projects being resumed.
- ▪He was elected with about 124,000 votes and took the oath in the costume before later removing it for regular sessions.
- ▪Rúa plans to continue oversight of corruption from the Senate floor, funded now by his salary rather than crowdfunding.
- ▪Analysts say his victory reflects growing public weariness with traditional politics and the influence of social media.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/04/white-elephant-colombia-anti-corruption-activist-senator-luis-carlos-rua |
| Publication time | Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:00:47 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-04T10:20:47.238Z |
| Last seen | 2026-08-04T10:20:47.238Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Luis Carlos Rúa: ‘The inauguration day was spectacular because nothing like it had ever happened anywhere in the world.’ Photograph: Elefante BlancoView image in fullscreenLuis Carlos Rúa: ‘The inauguration day was spectacular because nothing like it had ever happened anywhere in the world.’ Photograph: Elefante BlancoColombiaColombia’s elephant-costumed anti-corruption activist sworn in as senatorLuis Carlos Rúa revealed himself to be Elefante blanco just three days before election for ‘his own safety’.
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