Why Luis Carlos Rúa Attended the TIME 100 Next Gala in a White Elephant Suit

It might have turned some heads when Luis Carlos Rúa attended the 2026 TIME 100 Next gala in a full white elephant suit. But for the newly elected Colombian senator, the outfit wasn’t a fashion statement; it’s central to his mission as an advocate and political influencer against corruption.Rúa had been making videos on Instagram and TikTok for five years anonymously under the name Elefante blanco, or the White Elephant, a reference to the unfinished and wasteful infrastructure projects that Rúa exposes.Earlier this year, he was elected to the Senate of Colombia after revealing his identity just three days before the vote. Rúa told TIME on the red carpet before the gala, which took place on Oct. 29 in Manhattan, that his work exposing government mismanagement is more important than ever.“I have been traveling for five years in my country, denouncing massive public projects called white elephants, and in this moment in my country, we are facing the biggest one, the biggest white elephant in our history,” Rúa said.Rúa was referring to what he calls insufficient rebuilding after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Colombia in August, killing over 200 people and injuring 4,000 more. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the earthquake also left more than 45,000 homes damaged, 9,000 destroyed, and 140 buildings collapsed.“I want to call the attention of the world, and to raise my voice, to say that the reconstruction of my country still doesn't begin,” Rúa said on the carpet. “I say to the Colombian President, begin the reconstruction of a country, because two months ago a big earthquake destroyed some cities…we need the reconstruction to begin from here.”“There's people without home, people that lost their job, that lost families,” Rúa said. “We need the reconstruction to begin, President. It's your work. You have to do that.”When asked about the best way for people to advocate for Colombians, Rúa recommended people follow in his footsteps, using social media as a way to call for government action.“Go to the internet and you can explore the situation my country is facing in this moment, and make a video saying to the President: ‘We need the reconstruction to begin,’” he said. “That's the way the people can help from any space, from no matter what country.”