Petro demands enhanced electoral transparency for Colombia's runoff vote

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for "maximum citizen vigilance" during the upcoming presidential runoff election's vote count, expressing concern over electoral transparency.

Speaking on his X account, Petro specifically requested that the national registrar, Hernán Penagos, reinstate "metadata for the E-14 forms." These forms, which record preliminary results from voting stations, are crucial for the scrutiny process. Petro asserted that mechanisms allowing verification of document integrity had been eliminated from the digital publication of electoral documents.

His appeal comes just under 48 hours before the decisive second round of voting. The election pits far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella against the officialist Iván Cepeda. In the first round, de la Espriella secured 10.3 million votes (43.7%), while Cepeda garnered 9.6 million (40.9%).

Petro also urged national and international oversight bodies to demand compliance with these transparency requirements, which he deemed legally mandatory. He emphasized the need for a "tranquil" count, free from violence, but underscored the importance of citizen oversight.