Colombian President Gustavo Petro has once again raised the claim that vote counts in the runoff election held on June 21 were manipulated through the use of certain algorithms, proprietary software, and the alleged involvement of Israeli intelligence firms in the recent presidential election.
According to the highest electoral authority, in the runoff election, far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella won with 49.66% of the vote, compared to 48.7% for the progressive and left-wing candidate, Senator Iván Cepeda, who sought to continue Petro’s government plan to strengthen the state and implement social reforms.
Despite this, Petro announced that he does not recognize the legitimacy of the incoming government because, as he claimed, there was electoral fraud orchestrated from abroad: “We have all the information showing that, starting with an IP server located in Los Angeles, California – owned by the Bautista brothers and integrated into the vote-counting operation – algorithms were used that substantially skewed the vote in favor of Abelardo, the algorithms that rigged the election results were applied to the voter rolls by replacing those who never vote with voters who could vote multiple times or with empty seats at polling stations staffed by homogeneous juries.”
In light of this situation, Petro called for a popular mobilization to reject the incoming government: “We have suffered the harshest blow to national sovereignty since the Spanish reconquest during the years of the ‘Patria Boba’ … The president of Colombia does not recognize the legitimacy of the incoming government. Abelardo did not win the election. The national majority is called upon this July 20 to raise the cry for national independence in all public squares.”
Regarding the rally, the President said: “I invite you on July 20 to join the security forces and, after their parade, to hear my farewell address as Colombia’s head of state. We will not do this on August 6 or 7 – those are tragic dates. We will do it on July 20 in all of Colombia’s public squares,” in response to threats from a future government he has labeled “fascist.”
In recent days, Cepeda announced that, in light of De la Espriella’s alleged threats of possible politically motivated legal persecution – known as “lawfare” – he will launch a campaign of civil resistance. In recent statements, Petro affirmed that he would join the peaceful and active resistance against the incoming government: “We won’t threaten anyone here, but they’re going to threaten us – and they’re already threatening me – with arresting me and taking me to the United States or assassinating me.”
In response to these statements, the president-elect announced on July 7 that he was suspending talks with Petro’s cabinet regarding the handover of information, citing what he described as an “attempted coup d’état.” “I have just instructed the vice president-elect of the Republic to immediately suspend the transition process with the corrupt government that is ending its term – a government that, through its decisions and conduct, seeks to destroy Colombia,” De la Espriella stated via X.
Colombia is thus heading toward an uncertain future under a far-right government that is taking office. This government promises to dismantle the peace processes initiated by Petro and his predecessors, to radicalize neoliberalism, and to align Bogotá with Washington’s hemispheric policies, while also promising to initiate legal proceedings against various members of the outgoing administration. In the face of this adversity, leaders of the outgoing administration have vowed to resist through peaceful methods, social mobilization, and the creation of a strong opposition bloc that, although the new administration has not yet taken office, is already taking shape.
BreakThrough News , July 12, 2026
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