De la Espriella Accuses Colombia's Outgoing Government of Coup; Provides No Evidence
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
BOGOTÁ — Colombia's elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, suspended the government transition process with outgoing president Gustavo Petro on Tuesday, who had previously rejected De la Espriella's electoral victory, alleging fraud. In a video posted on social media, the conservative De la Espriella claimed that by denying his victory, Petro and former official candidate Iván Cepeda initiated a plan to 'stay in power at all costs' through a coup, for which he provided no evidence. 'As the elected president, I ask the Armed Forces of Colombia to uphold their oath: to protect the Constitution and democracy and not to obey any orders Petro may give in the opposite direction,' De la Espriella stated, urging the international community to monitor the government transition and asking his voters for 'resistance' until August 7, when he will take office. Hours earlier, Petro had posted on X that although some urged him to 'remain in power knowing that those coming did not win the elections,' he would not do so because the 'popular mandate given to me has an end, and I am a democrat.' The government transition, known as 'empalme' in Colombia, is typically a formal process to welcome the new administration. However, the process between Petro and De la Espriella, who are politically opposed, has been surrounded by mutual accusations. Finance Minister and Petro's transition coordinator, Germán Ávila, ordered his team to suspend the process as a reciprocal measure, criticizing statements made by Carlos Alfonso Lucio, a member of De la Espriella's team, who claimed the new government would bring the findings of the 'anti-corruption' transition process to justice. 'The empalme is not a criminal investigation, it is not a trial,' Ávila asserted, announcing a criminal complaint against Lucio. De la Espriella, who was supported during his campaign by U.S. President Donald Trump, stated he is willing to 'confront, defeat, and punish' Petro, ensuring he will make him 'pay for all his crimes within the framework of the law.' While Petro did not explicitly address the accusation of an attempted 'coup,' he called for 'civil resistance against an illegitimate government.' Cepeda, after acknowledging De la Espriella's victory, warned he would resort to 'peaceful civil disobedience' if the conservative did not renounce his dual U.S. citizenship before taking office.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
