This thesis analyzes the populist strategies used by the presidential candidates in Colombia for the 2014 elections. Populism is assumed as a speech based on the theory of Ernesto Laclau. This study assumes that populism acts as a mobilizing speech which logic implies the construction of an antagonistic perspective of reality. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the difference between positive majority of an enemy that embodies negative values and practices. Populist strategies propose a dichotomist vision of reality and a hegemonic demand, where the candidate appears as a positive part of antagonism and as a solution of the most important demands in social terms. This thesis focuses on answering the question: How were populist strategies used in the presidential elections of 2014? To answer this question, was created a populist strategy index in which the speech of each candidate was classified. A well structured antagonism and a representative hegemonic demand of society, constituted electoral benefits for the candidates. It could be concluded, that an adequate integration of the speech between antagonist frontiers (positive receptor and negative counterpart) and the hegemonic demand, could mean a greater probability of success for the candidate, in the way that citizens internalize his speech and adhere to it.
