Petro Demands Recount Amid Colombian Election Irregularities

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has demanded the immediate annulment of voting stations where poll workers did not sign the E14 forms, citing irregularities in the presidential election's second round. Petro took to social media to express his concerns, stating that the winner of the election cannot yet be determined due to the close vote count and the alleged discrepancies. He emphasized that the official tally, not preliminary counts, will determine the next president.

"The vote is almost tied, nobody reaches 50% obliges to wait for the recounts. In the last preliminary count bulletin, it's 49% versus 48%," Petro wrote, highlighting the narrow margin. He asserted that only the official scrutiny process, overseen by judges, can definitively declare a winner, urging citizens to remain calm.

Despite Petro's allegations, Abelardo de la Espinelli, representing the "Defenders of the Fatherland" movement, announced his victory. Official results based on 98.9% of precincts counted show Espinelli with 12,878,969 votes (49.7%) and Iván Cepeda Castro with 12,617,038 votes (48.6%). The election outcome remains uncertain pending the final official scrutiny.