Colombia president-elect accuses Petro of planning 'coup d'état'

Colombia's president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, has accused outgoing President Gustavo Petro of orchestrating a "coup d'état" to cling to power, escalating tensions ahead of the August 7th transfer of command. De la Espriella, representing the far-right and reportedly backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, called on the armed forces to safeguard democracy and disregard any orders from the current administration.

The transition process has been fraught with conflict between the leftist Petro and the right-wing De la Espriella, who narrowly won the June runoff against Petro's chosen successor, Iván Cepeda. De la Espriella alleges that Petro and Cepeda initiated a "Plan B" to retain power illegitimately. He has also suspended the transition talks, citing irregularities in Petro's handling of the fight against drug trafficking, state contracts, and the healthcare system.

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Petro and Cepeda initiated their Plan B to stay in power at all costs. And they want to do it through a coup d'état.

Petro, in response on social media platform X, dismissed De la Espriella's claims, accusing the president-elect of violating the constitution by allegedly securing victory with foreign aid and surrendering national sovereignty. Petro stated he had never ordered the military to act against the constitution, implying De la Espriella was the one undermining it.

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You were elected with foreign aid, prohibited by the Constitution and surrendered national sovereignty to be president.

De la Espriella, who holds both Colombian and U.S. citizenship and publicly supported Trump in 2024, anticipates a strong bilateral relationship under his presidency. This stance contrasts sharply with Petro's often critical relationship with Trump on issues like immigration and drug policy.

Petro continues to question the legitimacy of the election results, citing alleged fraud, and has called for protests on July 20, his final day in office. Despite Cepeda acknowledging the results, he declared civil disobedience against the incoming government. International observers and electoral authorities, however, have found no evidence of manipulation. De la Espriella, known as "El Tigre," has promised to boost private investment, reduce the state's size, and intensify efforts against armed groups, tapping into public discontent over Petro's peace negotiation attempts.

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You, Mr. Abelardo, are the one who has already torn up the constitution. First because you were elected with foreign aid, prohibited by the Constitution. And worse, because Abelardo surrendered national sovereignty to be president. Second, I have never given orders to the military forces…