Abstract

Political polarization and discursive (de)legitimization have emerged as key phenomena shaping contemporary political landscapes. This article aims to analyze the discursive construction of Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández as presidential candidates during the 2022 elections in Colombia, through the analysis of a national media outlet, Revista Semana. An interpretative repertories analysis was employed, utilizing tools from critical discourse psychology. The findings reveal how a widely influential media outlet, in its role as a media actor, employs discursive strategies to incite readers to take sides between an "ex-guerrilla" and an "engineer," promoting dichotomous models of governance and positioning a political narrative that, in many cases, excludes intermediate alternatives or nuances. This analysis contributes to understanding the role of the media in the construction of polarized political identities and in shaping public opinion during electoral processes in contexts of increasing polarization.