Petro Questions Successor's Election, Cites Electoral Fraud

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has raised serious questions about the integrity of the upcoming presidential election, alleging that the system used to elect his successor, Abelardo de la Espriella, did not guarantee vote security. De la Espriella is set to assume office this Friday.

Petro stated that the electoral system employed in 2022, which secured his own victory, had its security features altered after his election. He claims this change, specifically the removal of a 'hash lock' – a cryptographic code ensuring the integrity of E-14 forms (tally sheets from electoral juries) – rendered the documents modifiable. "After my elections (which I won), removing that changes everything completely, because those PDFs become modifiable," Petro told reporters.

The National Registry of Civil Status, the electoral authority, refuted Petro's claims. Following the June 22 elections, the Registry asserted that the 'hash lock' was not removed from the E-14 form consultation platform. They maintained that the implemented measures were solely intended to guarantee the security, integrity, and availability of electoral information for all Colombian citizens.

Despite the Registry's statement, Petro remains firm in his assertion of fraud. Citing an independent audit, he declared there was "algorithmic, systematic electoral fraud, and above all, a huge volume of votes in favor of Abelardo." He specifically targeted the second round of elections, where Abelardo de la Espriella defeated Senator Iván Cepeda, Petro's preferred candidate and a member of his Pacto Histórico party.

Petro further alleged that "wealthy Israelis directed by a genocider" manipulated the vote from abroad, altering results in 1,665 polling stations. He insisted that Iván Cepeda won the presidency and that the election was "stolen." Petro plans to proceed with the inauguration of De la Espriella on Friday, calling him an "illegitimate president," and continues to highlight the alleged fraud, linking it to "foreign money."