Análisis del Discurso del Significante de Paz en los Periodos Presidenciales de Uribe, Santos y Petro: un Significante Flotante en Disputa.

Abstract

The word peace has been central though with shifting meanings in the presidential campaigns of Álvaro Uribe Vélez (2002 and 2006), Juan Manuel Santos (2010 and 2014), and Gustavo Petro (2022). This article presents a comparative analysis of how the signifier peace was redefined in the campaign and inauguration speeches of these three leaders, applying the theory of the floating signifier by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe (1985). The aim is to identify patterns, discursive strategies, and key differences across each electoral period. A corpus of speeches was compiled using a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative component, discourse analysis identified various strategies for the re-signification of peace: from its association with security and order, through negotiation and national unity, to comprehensive social change. In the quantitative component, frequency analysis and descriptive statistics were used to measure the recurrence of key terms in each campaign and their variation over time. The results show that peace functioned as an empty signifier strategically redefined in each election to construct hegemony. Although the candidates used the same term, its semantic content diverged and even became antagonistic. The article concludes that the concept of peace was discursively contested, serving as a central axis for the articulation of political identities and electoral strategies in Colombia.