DistantNews
Support us
US, Latin American nations urge orderly power transfer in Colombia
🇩🇪 Germany /Sports

US, Latin American nations urge orderly power transfer in Colombia

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • The US and several Latin American nations urged Colombian authorities to uphold the constitution and ensure an orderly transfer of power.
  • The joint statement expressed concern over recent actions and statements casting doubt on the election's integrity and the institutional transition.
  • This call follows a dispute where the outgoing government questioned election results, leading to the suspension of the formal transition process by the president-elect.

The United States, alongside Argentina, Ecuador, and other Latin American and Caribbean nations, has issued a strong appeal to Colombia's authorities. They are calling for strict adherence to the constitution, law, and democratic principles to ensure an orderly transfer of power following the recent presidential election.

We make a strong appeal to all Colombian authorities to act in strict accordance with the constitution, the law, and democratic principles.

— joint statementThe statement issued by the US and several Latin American countries outlining their call for an orderly power transfer.

The joint statement voiced "great concern" over recent "statements and actions" that have cast doubt on the integrity of the electoral process without sufficient evidence. These actions, the signatories noted, have created uncertainty regarding the institutional transition. They emphasized that only the will of the voters, as officially determined by electoral authorities, confers democratic legitimacy upon state power. Attempts to delegitimize or obstruct the officially announced results or the transition process were explicitly rejected.

The situation stems from a dispute over the government change in Colombia. The president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, suspended the formal transition after the outgoing left-wing government under President Gustavo Petro questioned the election outcome, citing alleged fraud. Although Petro later pledged to hand over power on August 6, he has not formally recognized his right-wing successor's victory. De la Espriella has accused the outgoing administration of attempting a coup.

We observe with great concern recent statements and actions that sow doubt on the integrity of the electoral process in Colombia without sufficient evidence and generate uncertainty about the institutional transition.

— joint statementExpressing concern over actions that undermine the electoral process and transition.

The election saw the US-backed candidate secure approximately 49.6 percent of the vote, while the left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda garnered around 48.7 percent. President Petro was constitutionally barred from seeking re-election.

Attempts to delegitimize or obstruct the officially announced election results or the transition process are rejected.

— joint statementReaffirming the validity of the official election results and rejecting attempts to undermine them.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog