Top Colombian courts back vote-counting commissions amid election dispute

Colombia's highest judicial bodies have publicly backed the commissions responsible for scrutinizing votes from the recent presidential election. The Supreme Court of Justice and the Superior Council of the Judiciary issued a joint statement on Tuesday expressing their full support for the vote-counting commissions nationwide. They emphasized that these commissions perform an essential function in guaranteeing transparency, legitimacy, and public trust in the electoral process. The courts highlighted that electoral scrutiny is a constitutionally and legally regulated procedure, carried out independently and rigorously by these commissions, which are primarily composed of judges. This endorsement arrives as President Gustavo Petro has raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the electoral census prior to the election. Petro claimed the census, managed by the Registraduría, was altered shortly before the vote, potentially including hundreds of thousands of new voters improperly. The judicial bodies noted that the Registraduría has collaborated with oversight entities and international observers to ensure a transparent process. They also reminded that the National Electoral Council will ultimately declare the definitive results within the established legal framework.