Cepeda: 'Civil disobedience' if Colombian president-elect does not renounce U.S. citizenship
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
BOGOTÁ — Former presidential candidate Iván Cepeda announced on Tuesday that he will resort to 'peaceful civil disobedience' if president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella does not renounce his U.S. nationality, clarify whether he has been a 'collaborator of agencies' of U.S. intelligence, and meet other conditions. The progressive Cepeda, who will serve in opposition from a Senate seat after losing in the presidential runoff, explained in a statement to the press that disobedience 'implies not recognizing the authority of someone who does not respond to the defense of national sovereignty.' Cepeda, a political ally of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, urged his more than 12 million voters to also engage in disobedience if De la Espriella does not comply with the conditions, which would mean disregarding 'any order' given by the president-elect. De la Espriella, 47, was born in Colombia's capital and acquired U.S. citizenship in adulthood. He stated during the campaign to The Associated Press that he is also a member of the Republican Party. Questions about his dual nationality have surrounded his campaign, both due to criticisms from Cepeda and Petro, who question his loyalty to Colombia, and from a group of legal experts who warned before the runoff that his obligations as Colombian president would enter into 'radical contradiction' with those acquired in the United States as a citizen.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
