cabildear

To lobby — to negotiate informally and use influence to sway legislators or decision-makers toward a particular interest, the direct Spanish equivalent of the English political term. Common in political journalism across the Spanish-speaking world (cabildear a favor de una ley).

• Los grupos empresariales cabildearon para frenar la nueva ley. — Business groups lobbied to stall the new law.
• Pasó meses cabildeando entre los senadores. — She spent months lobbying among the senators.
• Las organizaciones civiles cabildean por más transparencia. — Civil organizations lobby for more transparency.

This refers specifically to political influence-seeking with legislators/officials, not general persuasion — convencer or persuadir cover ordinary convincing outside a political/institutional context.

Often confused with gestionar.