Bogotá.- The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, assured this Tuesday that he will hand over power on August 6 at midnight, despite not recognizing Abelardo de la Espriella, winner of the June 21 elections in which he defeated leftist Iván Cepeda, as his successor.
“The government transition process continues (…) the government ends on August 6th at 12 midnight, because that was the mandate of the people,” wrote Petro on the social network X, where he added that he will not cling to power because he is “a democrat” who respects the Constitution.
Petro insisted, however, that his party, the Historic Pact, will file a lawsuit to annul the elections and reiterated his criticisms of the president-elect, who is due to take office on August 7, and his transition team, after the parties decided this Tuesday to suspend contacts for the transfer of power.
“They ask me for things that would be unconstitutional, such as remaining in power knowing that those who are coming did not win the elections. I will not do it because the popular mandate that was granted to me has an end,” wrote Petro.
The outgoing president’s statements come hours after the joint transition tables between the outgoing Government and the future Administration decided separately to suspend the meeting scheduled for this Tuesday, in a context of deteriorating relations between both teams.
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Although Petro confirmed that he will leave the Presidency on the date provided by the Constitution, he once again asserted, without providing evidence, that the elections “were manipulated,” reiterated his criticisms against De la Espriella, described the accusations made by members of the president-elect’s team as “slander,” and stated that he will respond through legal channels.
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“The slanders uttered by ex-convicts and relatives of convicts, which is what they sent among other people to the transition team, will be answered judicially,” Petro indicated.
The president also called for an “active resistance” and maintained that, “when the people decide,” “civil disobedience” will proceed, considering that the country faces a threat to democracy with the arrival of the new Government.
