Former leftist President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has claimed electoral fraud following the release of preliminary run‑off results that showed his preferred candidate trailing by a narrow margin.
On Monday, Petro took to X, alleging that the opposition engaged in vote‑buying and that both Israel and the United States intervened to bolster the far‑right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella.
Petro has declined to acknowledge the outcome and has urged the judiciary to investigate the alleged irregularities.
The president, who was constitutionally prohibited from seeking a second term, became Colombia’s first leftist head of state, positioning him in opposition to the United States.
His government has been commended for expanding social expenditure, increasing the minimum wage, and redistributing land to disadvantaged families. Additionally, Petro severed diplomatic relations with Israel in response to its military actions in Gaza and distanced his administration from former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Nevertheless, critics warn that Petro’s refusal to accept the results could exacerbate political tensions and potentially provoke violence. The following provides an overview of the situation.
What are the election results?
The initial round of the presidential election took place on May 31. Neither of the two leading contenders—right‑wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella from the Defenders of the Homeland coalition and Senator Iván Cepeda of the governing Historic Pact—received the required 50 % of votes, necessitating a runoff on Sunday.
De la Espriella emerged victorious with 49.66 % of the vote, narrowly surpassing Cepeda’s 48.7 %, according to unofficial tabulations released by the National Registry on Monday.
The margin of victory was less than one percentage point, marking one of Colombia’s most tightly contested elections.
Supported by former President Donald Trump, the 47‑year‑old de la Espriella is slated to assume office on August 7. A multimillionaire criminal lawyer, he ran on a platform of intensified security measures and anti‑leftist policies, and holds U.S. citizenship.
De la Espriella’s triumph joins a broader pattern of Latin American nations electing far‑right, populist leaders aligned with Trump, including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Honduras’s Nasry “Tito” Asfura, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, and Costa Rica’s Laura Fernández Delgado, all of whom maintain close ties to the Trump administration.
Why is Petro alleging fraud?
Petro utilized X to denounce what he described as voter fraud allegedly facilitated by Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He asserted that evidence pointed to manipulation of Form E‑14, the official handwritten tally sheet completed by poll workers at each voting station.
This document serves as a physical record of the vote count and is designed to deter electoral fraud. While it is completed manually, digital scans are also uploaded to the National Registry’s portal for public audit; any identified discrepancies may trigger a recount request.
Petro alleged that external actors accessed the National Registry’s website and altered voting data on certain E‑14 forms.
‘Today we have evidence of a change in the IP addresses of several National Registry servers,’ he posted.
‘This indicates that the software was compromised and that data for polling stations and voting posts was altered. The only entity in the world capable of such interference, according to Petro, is the State of Israel,’ he claimed, without presenting supporting evidence.
Petro stated that his party had requested a ‘technical audit’ of the voting software prior to the elections and asked authorities to retrieve digital footprints of all transmitted documents to prevent tampering, claims he said were ignored.
The outgoing president released videos purporting to show the ‘premeditated’ modification of E‑14 forms and claimed the changes originated from the offices of the Bautista brothers.
Who are the Bautista brothers?
Petro was referring to Thomas Greg & Sons, a prominent private logistics and security printing firm that has overseen Colombia’s electoral infrastructure, and until recently also produced Colombian passports.
The company is owned by brothers Fernando and Camilo Bautista Palacio, who were convicted of bank fraud in the United States during the 1980s.
Founded by their father, Gregorio, Thomas Greg & Sons has been contracted by the National Registry for over a decade to manage election logistics, preliminary vote counting, and vote‑tallying software.
In April, Petro accused the Bautista brothers of negotiating a deal with de la Espriella that would secure the presidency for the far‑right candidate in exchange for renewed passport‑printing contracts.
At the time, de la Espriella refuted the allegations, and his legal team threatened Petro with a lawsuit.
What are authorities saying?
Attorney General Gregorio Eljach dismissed the accusations, stating that more than 99 % of votes have been counted and there is ‘no evidence of fraud.’
De la Espriella, meanwhile, has not yet responded directly to Petro.
Is de la Espriella linked with Israel?
Yes, de la Espriella has consistently voiced support for Israel and courted Colombia’s Jewish community with pro‑Israel promises, stating his administration would ‘defend Judeo‑Christian principles.’
He pledged to reverse Petro’s 2024 decision to sever ties with Israel and has promised to relocate Colombia’s embassy to Jerusalem.
Netanyahu congratulated de la Espriella on Monday, stating, ‘I look forward to working with you to strengthen the bond between Israel and Colombia.’
How has the US reacted?
In those posts, Petro also blamed Trump for interfering in the election by publicly endorsing a candidate and thereby influencing voters.
Trump endorsed de la Espriella on his Truth Social platform weeks before the runoff.
Both Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated de la Espriella on his preliminary victory, with Trump claiming credit for the far‑right candidate’s success.
‘He was in 10th place. I endorsed him, and he won the election. He called me last night and thanked me for the endorsement,’ Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday.
Rubio posted on X, ‘The Trump administration looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration to advance regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen our economic ties.’
Petro has invited Trump to issue a statement regarding the alleged electoral fraud.
‘I formally invite President Donald Trump to speak,’ Petro wrote, adding that the U.S. president bears responsibility for ‘having supported a candidate and not the freedom of the Colombian people.’
What is the US-Colombian relationship like?
Although the two nations maintain robust trade relations, diplomatic ties have frequently been strained over drug‑trafficking policies and Israel‑related matters, among other issues.
Nevertheless, relations deteriorated sharply under the Trump and Petro administrations.
In January of the previous year, Petro refused to permit U.S. migrant deportation flights to land in Colombia and declared on X that the United States ‘cannot treat Colombian migrants like criminals.’
In October, the United States sanctioned Petro, his family, and several senior officials on unproven allegations of involvement in the drug trade.
In January of this year, U.S. forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from his home in Caracas after the Trump administration accused him of ‘narcoterrorism.’
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