Political confrontation in Colombia reached a new level of
intensity following an exchange of statements between President-elect Abelardo
De la Espriella and outgoing President Gustavo Petro, amidst a climate of
growing uncertainty during the power transition process.
The controversy began when De la Espriella publicly called
on the Armed Forces, in their capacity as guarantors of constitutional order,
not to obey any instruction that, in his view, contravenes the Constitution or
the rule of law. His statements come in a context of strong disagreements with
the outgoing government.
Petro's response was swift. The current president reminded
everyone that, according to the Colombian Constitution, he remains the supreme
commander of the Armed Forces until the end of his term, scheduled for midnight
on August 6. Furthermore, he rejected the president-elect's appeal and launched
new accusations, claiming that De la Espriella had come to power with foreign
support and, according to him, had compromised national sovereignty. To date,
Petro has not presented any public evidence to support these claims.
The exchange of accusations reflects the deep level of
polarization gripping Colombian politics after the presidential elections.
While the outgoing president continues his futile questioning of the election
results, the president-elect maintains that the democratic transition must
proceed in strict adherence to the constitutional framework and has denounced
what he considers attempts to disregard the will expressed at the ballot box.
International observers, including the European Union and the Carter Center,
have indicated that the electoral process was transparent and legitimate.
Former President Iván Duque also joined the controversy,
publicly responding to Petro's statements, thus increasing the political
exchange among various national actors and highlighting the highly
confrontational atmosphere prevailing in the country just weeks before the
presidential transition.