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Presidential Transition in Colombia Not Going All That Smoothly – HotAir

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July 23, 2026
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Presidential Transition in Colombia Not Going All That Smoothly – HotAir

During the last week of June, after a run-off victory, Abelardo De La Espriella was declared the president-elect of Colombia. The whinings and rantings of election hanky-panky from cartel tool and outgoing president Gustavo Petro were ignored, especially after the proceedings received a clean bill of health from the European Union observers who had been in the country throughout the entire election.





It had been thought that Petro would be forced to slink ignominiously into the undergrowth when his handpicked candidate also ignored him and conceded the victory to De La Espriella.

…Unlike Petro, Iván Cepeda was gracious in defeat.

We respect democracy and accept the results.

The scrutiny process is practically finalized.

@IvanCepedaCast addresses the country 

Well…so much for thinking that.

At the beginning of this month, De La Espriella was forced to suspend the transition process due to Petro’s repeated fraud claims and intransigence in handing over the reins of power to the incoming president. The president-elect was seriously concerned about a possible Petro-engineered coup in the works, designed to derail the duly elected conservative from dethroning one of South America’s most notorious, ruthless, and corrupt strongmen.

Colombian President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Tuesday suspended the transition process with President Gustavo Petro and accused him of planning a coup to stay in power after the outgoing leader refused to recognize results of the country’s election.

Petro said Monday that he refused to recognize de la Espriella’s victory in the June 21 presidential runoff election over the Petro coalition’s candidate Sen. Iván Cepeda, alleging fraud without providing evidence.

The conservative, Trump-endorsed de la Espriella said in a video posted Tuesday on social media that Petro and Cepeda had launched a plan to “cling to power at all costs” through “a coup d’état” by refusing to recognize his victory. He did not provide evidence to support the allegation, and Petro did not immediately respond to it.

“As president-elect, I call on Colombia’s armed forces to honor their oath to protect the constitution and democracy and to disobey any orders from Petro to the contrary,” de la Espriella said.

He also called on the international community to monitor the transfer of power and urged his supporters to “resist” until his inauguration on Aug. 7.





Things had kind of simmered along until Monday, which was Colombia’s Independence Day, and Petro used his last time at the presidential podium during the celebrations to fire up his supporters and tell the country he was never going to accept the election results.

…Although Gustavo Petro’s words may make us laugh, feel rage, and feel shame, they are tremendously serious and dangerous, and they give us a wake-up call.

He still refuses to recognize Abelardo de la Espriella as president and says that the president literally chosen by Colombia was the heir Ivan Cepeda. And on top of that, he claims he has already filed a lawsuit and that he will present it today.

This simply shows us what they are prepared to do during these four years of government under President Abelardo de la Espriella. These people are willing to set fire to and destroy the country just to impose their will.

Inauguration day is seven August, and Petro seems determined to make sure that De La Espriella never sees it.

Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro called Monday on his supporters to protect his government’s social and economic reforms and resist any efforts by the incoming administration to change the nation’s labor laws.

The left-wing leader accused Israel and the United States of interfering in Colombia’s recent presidential election, in a lengthy speech Monday that marked the nation’s Independence Day and that he said would be his last as the nation’s head of state.

President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, a conservative lawyer and dual U.S.-Colombian citizen, has promised to cut government spending by up to 40% and draft labor laws that will enable companies to hire employees on an hourly basis. He will be sworn in on Aug. 7.

Petro doubled down on accusations of electoral fraud, saying he would soon provide evidence on how vote tallies were rigged with the help of software supplied by Israel. Colombia’s electoral authorities have dismissed allegations of fraud.

Petro also urged his supporters to mobilize “by the millions” and organize strikes if the nation’s incoming government tries to change labor laws, which have increased overtime pay and made it harder for companies in Colombia to hire workers on short-term contracts.

“We must exercise our opposition in the streets, and resist peacefully … but in an overwhelming manner,” Petro said.





Besides unwinding some of the incredibly restrictive labor laws that have kept hiring in check in the country, president-elect De La Espriella had been on a course reconfiguration for the country that has to have Petro, his ruling socialist cadre, and his cartel bosses’ heads exploding.

It’s already been dicey enough.

URGENT: Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo De La Espriella reports on a possible attack against his life.

According to the official statement, there would be an offer of up to 3 billion pesos from ELN terrorists and FARC dissidents to carry out the attack during his regional agenda.

Protect the life of the Tiger! 🙏🏻

For one, the country will recognize Israel, open an embassy, and withdraw as a party to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) complaint filed against the Jewish state.

When De La Espriella was confirmed as the winner, the United States and Colombia signed an agreement for the country to join our State Department’s latest creation, The Shield of the Americas organization. In addition to the member countries releasing a statement two weeks ago condemning the Petro administration for gumming up the transition (and the implied threat)…

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Begin Text:

We observe with deep concern the recent statements and actions that, without duly substantiated grounds, cast doubt on the integrity of the electoral process in the Republic of Colombia and generate uncertainty regarding the normal course of the institutional transition.

In every constitutional democracy, the sovereign will of the citizens — freely expressed at the ballot box and formalized by the competent electoral authorities — constitutes the sole foundation of the legitimacy of public power.  Disregarding the results officially proclaimed by said authorities constitutes a serious disregard for the popular will and for the principles that underpin the Rule of Law.

We reject any action, statement, or decision that seeks to delegitimize the mandate conferred by the citizens, to discredit without basis the competent electoral authorities, or to obstruct the institutional transition, known in Colombia as the empalme process.  The transition between governments does not constitute a political concession, but rather a constitutional and institutional duty designed to guarantee the continuity of the State, democratic stability, and the effective fulfillment of the popular will.





…De La Espriella announced on Tuesday that he would be dropping the SotA Colombian headquarters smack dab in the middle of cocaine central – Medellín.

AY DIOS MIO

🚨🇨🇴🇺🇸 | #URGENT The president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced that Medellín will be the main headquarters in Colombia for the Shield of the Americas, the powerful security alliance driven by Trump to combat drug trafficking and organized crime.

“Here in Medellín is the head of the snake of drug trafficking and organized crime. They submit or they are taken down as the law requires.”

That’s what’s known as ‘laying a marker down.’

He’s also announced he’s going to establish rotating ‘alternative capitals’ in several far-flung cities, governing from each for a few weeks at a time. As one commenter said, the administration of the country had always been sent from Bogota, a city of 10.5 million people, to the other 40 million plus in the rest of the country, who never once saw a soul from the government. They like the idea of the representative change.

Another big change happened during the swearing-in of all the new congressional representatives and the election of their chosen officers.

For the first time in 30 years, congressional leadership hadn’t been dictated by Petro, political favor-swapping, or his cronies.

De La Espriella stayed out of the process completely.





I fully respect the autonomy of the Congress of the Republic and the independence of the branches of public power. That is why I did not call any congressman to ask for votes, offer positions, contracts, or favors. It had been more than 30 years since the Senate’s board of directors had been elected through a free vote, without bureaucratic deals. That strengthens our democracy.

I am not a traditional politician. I am here to practice great politics: that of serving Colombia with transparency, respect for institutions, and absolute commitment to the country.

I congratulate Dr. Honorio Henríquez on his election as President of the Senate of the Republic and Dr. Nicolás Barguil on his election as President of the House of Representatives. I wish them the greatest success in the high responsibilities they assume today. I am confident that, from the independence of each body, we will find points of convergence to advance the initiatives Colombia needs and make the Miracle Homeland a reality.

This rapid pace and radical shift have to be driving Gustavo Petro’s case of malignant megalomania even further over the edge. The waning president filed a last-ditch, desperate formal complaint yesterday asking to annul the election results and get his hold on power back.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has filed a legal challenge seeking to annul the country’s June 21 presidential election, alleging irregularities in the vote that resulted in the victory of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Petro announced that the petition had been submitted by a group of around 70,000 people identifying themselves as “digital witnesses.”

According to Petro, the petition alleges that metadata from documents uploaded by the election vote-counting system indicates possible algorithmic manipulation of ballots. He said the legal claims and technical evidence presented in the filing would be explained through a series of public videos.

Without naming Espriella directly, Petro criticized the president-elect while reiterating his call for a judicial review of the election.





It remains to be seen what will come of the maneuver, but suffice to say Colombia is going to be a very different place very soon if he remains unsuccessful and frustrated in his efforts to upend the vote.

In this treacherous environment, the three weeks until August 7 must seem like a lifetime away for Abelardo De La Espriella.

 


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