Senator Cepeda outlines conditions to ensure the incoming presidency’s legality and legitimacy.
On Tuesday, former Colombian presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda will join a campaign of peaceful civil disobedience if Abelardo de la Espriella assumes the presidency on Aug. 7 without first renouncing his U.S. citizenship and clarifying his involvement with foreign security agencies.
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In a letter published in early June, 36 academics and legal scholars had already warned that the triple nationality of the far-right politician, who is also a citizen of the United States and Italy, could create conflicts of interest if he becomes president of Colombia.
“We believe that his Italian citizenship does not raise any legal concerns… however, U.S. citizenship presents legal, ethical and political obstacles for anyone seeking to become president of Colombia because acquiring it requires taking an oath that entails legal commitments and obligations to that country, which are incompatible with the duties of the president of Colombia,” they said.
One week before De la Espriella is set to assume the presidency, Sen. Cepeda outlined fundamental requirements to guarantee the legality and legitimacy of the De la Espriella presidency.
Beto Coral es un preso político y de conciencia en EEUU.
Le solicito a todos los gobiernos del mundo y a todas las organizaciones de derechos humanos de los EEUU, ayudarnos en su liberación
Está bajo tortura sicológica, aislado de su familia, y lo hacen recorrer… pic.twitter.com/d8nWwULeDT
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) June 28, 2026
President Gustavo Petro’s text reads, “Beto Coral is a political prisoner and prisoner of conscience in the United States. I ask all the governments of the world and all U.S. human rights organizations to help us secure his release. He is being subjected to psychological torture, isolated from his family, and transferred between prisons in several states. The objective of his detention is to force him to confess to being an agent of the Colombian National Intelligence Directorate (DNI). I request that the DNI director issue certification as to whether he exists or has ever existed in the institution’s personnel files. My government does not spy on foreign nations; it is fulfilling our constitutional mandate to seek peace. My knowledge of U.S. society comes from my reading of the historian Howard Zinn, and I have fostered and strengthened relations between intelligence agencies and countries around the world that join us in combating drug trafficking, including the United States. Unlike in the past, all Colombian intelligence agencies have a presidential mandate to fight drug trafficking, not to persecute the opposition in Colombia or anywhere else in the world. Therefore, Beto Coral is a political prisoner and deserves global solidarity for his release.”
In addition to demanding full respect for Colombia’s constitutional and legal order, the former presidential candidate requested the following:
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De la Espriella must publicly renounce his U.S. citizenship and explicitly clarify whether he is or is not a collaborator with, or member of, U.S. security agencies.
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De la Espriella must commit to fully respecting Colombia’s national security and judicial sovereignty, affirming that the integrity of Colombian institutions cannot be compromised by external loyalties.
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De la Espriella must end all persecution of current President Gustavo Petro and abandon any possible attempt to extradite him.
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De la Espriella must guarantee a democratic, pluralistic, and fair environment by ending the persecution of opponents and ceasing to encourage their prosecution through the U.S. Department of Justice.
Sen. Cepeda said that if those conditions are not met, he will embark on peaceful civil disobedience, which entails refusing to recognize the authority of someone who does not defend national sovereignty. The leftist leader called on more than 12 million citizens who voted for him to refuse to recognize any order, directive, or mandate issued by a president who does not protect the Colombian constitution.
Former presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda officially recognized the election results as an act of democratic responsibility, but left a firm warning against institutional silence. Alternative sectors and social movements have strongly denounced the overt and undue interference in… pic.twitter.com/B4gfEBkAG1
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) June 24, 2026
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Sources: EFE – teleSUR
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