Petro to give farewell speech amid Colombia transfer-of-power tensions

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkColombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks during an interview with AFP at the Casa de Narino presidential palace in Bogota on June 4, 2026 [AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and AFPPublished On 20 Jul 202620 Jul 2026Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro is set to deliver a public farewell address on Monday after calling for nationwide protests, as tensions continue over last month’s disputed presidential election and the country’s upcoming transfer of power.In a post on X on July 6, Petro invited supporters to gather on July 20, Colombia’s Independence Day, for what he has described as a “general mobilisation to shout for independence and the continuation of social reforms” before listening to his farewell speech.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Why is Israel being accused of meddling in Colombia presidential election?list 2 of 4Ivan Cepeda concedes defeat in Colombia election, sealing right-wing winlist 3 of 4De la Espriella pledges to restore Colombia’s relations with Israellist 4 of 4How will the rise of right-wing populism affect Latin America?end of listThe date also marks the opening of the new Congress, less than three weeks before President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is due to take office on August 7.One of the first issues facing lawmakers is expected to be de la Espriella’s request to move his inauguration from Congress in Bogota to a military base in southern Colombia.The president-elect said he wants to take the oath of office there to “pay a solemn tribute to the heroes of the homeland and to the military personnel who protect democracy, freedom, and institutional stability”.Petro has rejected the proposal and ordered on July 12 that “no military establishment” be used for the ceremony.“Military and police bases remain under my command until the new president takes the oath of office,” he wrote on X, adding the rules around the transfer of power “establish that the president takes office before Congress in full session”.In the same post, Petro wrote that “Colombia’s national sovereignty has been violated by foreigners who usurped the people’s right to choose freely”, echoing his repeated claims that last month’s presidential election was marred by fraud and foreign interference.The election, which de la Espriella won by less than one percent of the vote, was one of the closest in Colombia’s history.In the aftermath of the vote, Petro accused Israel of meddling in the election, alleging that foreign actors had accessed the website of Colombia’s National Registry to manipulate polling data.“The only entity in the world capable of doing that is the state of Israel,” he said, without providing evidence. Colombia’s Inspector General Gregorio Eljach dismissed the allegations, and international observers said they found no evidence of fraud.Petro has promised a peaceful transition but said on Tuesday that he will not attend the inauguration on August 7.De la Espriella, a right-wing lawyer backed by US President Donald Trump and a vocal supporter of Israel, has responded by accusing Petro, without providing evidence, of plotting a “coup” to stop him from taking office.De la Espriella has pledged to restore diplomatic ties with Israel, announcing plans on Thursday to open a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem and withdraw Colombia’s support for South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.Petro, who severed ties with Israel in 2024 over its war on Gaza, responded by calling his successor an “accomplice to genocide”.De la Espriella has also criticised Petro’s calls for civil disobedience, describing them as “nothing more than … urban terrorism” and vowing there would be “no leniency” for anyone seeking to challenge Colombia’s constitutional order.