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Colombia's president‑elect suspends transition amid coup accusations
On 7 July 2026, Abelardo de la Espriella, Colombia’s president‑elect, ordered the immediate suspension of the empalme (government transition) with outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s administration. De la Espriella accused Petro of trying to orchestrate a coup and of attempting to “destroy Colombia,” saying, “My duty is to protect the nation’s interests and guarantee a serious, transparent transition.” He called on the armed forces to honor their oath to protect the Constitution and asked the international community to monitor the process.
Petro responded that he would hand over power at midnight on 6 August, but continued to claim electoral fraud and called for public protests. Vice‑president‑elect José Manuel Restrepo implemented the suspension while insisting that the transition work would continue through legal channels. Finance minister Germán Ávila, representing the outgoing government, also announced the suspension of transition meetings. The dispute follows Petro’s unfounded allegations of vote tampering and a pending legal challenge filed by former CNE magistrate Luis Guillermo Pérez. The confrontation has raised fears of institutional instability ahead of the scheduled inauguration on 7 August.