Petro Rejects Colombia Run-off Loss by 0.96 Points, Alleges US and Israel Interference
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 23
Petro Rejects Colombia Run-off Loss by 0.96 Points, Alleges US and Israel Interference
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 23
Summary
49.66% to 48.7% preliminary results gave right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella a razor-thin run-off win, prompting outgoing President Gustavo Petro to refuse recognition and demand a judicial investigation.
Petro said vote-buying and manipulation of Form E-14 tally sheets tainted the count, alleging compromised National Registry servers and foreign interference by Israel and the United States without publicly providing evidence.
Attorney General Gregorio Eljach said there was no evidence of fraud with more than 99% of votes counted, while critics warned Petro’s claims could inflame political tensions and violence.
De la Espriella, a Trump-backed lawyer due to take office on August 7, has pledged to restore ties with Israel; Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu both congratulated him after the preliminary result.