Colombia: Gustavo Petro Will Not Attend Abelardo de la Espriella’s Inauguration

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, announced that he will not attend the inauguration ceremony of his successor, Abelardo de la Espriella, scheduled for August 7.

During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 14, President Petro reiterated his accusations of fraud in the presidential elections, stating that he “cannot accept a president” elected under such circumstances.

El Presidente @PetroGustavo denunció que no se entregaron los escrutinios de claveros del voto en el exterior, en este caso de Estados Unidos, por lo que calificó este hecho como un fraude. “Es un fraude de 848.000 votos, que es el número del censo adicional que yo denuncié”,… pic.twitter.com/auEeBfCcyy

— Presidencia Colombia 🇨🇴 (@infopresidencia) July 15, 2026

“That is why I will not be there on August 7, nor will I shake hands [with De la Espriella],” Petro emphasized. “Let people say whatever they want, but he knows why, because this is a fraud … This a fraud of 848,000 votes, which is the number of the additional voters in the census about which I registered a complaint.”

“The only thing that I have to do is fulfill my mandate, which was given to me by the people, and no one else,” he added. “I do not have to ask anyone for it for free.”

Colombia’s Left After the 2026 Election: Defeat, Renewal, and the Future of the Pink Tide

Previously, Petro announced that he did not authorize the inauguration of the president elect to take place in a military establishment. “In service of my constitutional and legal powers, I order that no military establishment be used for the inauguration of a president of the Republic of Colombia,” he said.

He emphasized that the transfer of power to the new president has to be carried out under the laws of the Republic and the Constitution, rules that establish that the president must take office before Congress during a full session.

(Últimas Noticias) by María Eugenia Rodríguez

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/SC/DZ