De la Espriella suspends Colombia’s transfer of power – Colombia News

President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Tuesday suspended the transfer of power after President Gustavo Petro accused him of fraud.

In a post on social media platform X, De la Espriella said he had “given instructions to the vice president-elect of the Republic to immediately suspend the handover process with the corrupt government that is ending its term.”

I have just given instructions to the president-elect of the Republic to immediately suspend the handover process with the corrupt government that is ending its term, a government that, with its decisions and its conduct, seeks to destroy Colombia.

Abelardo de la Espriella

“My duty is to protect the interests of the Nation and guarantee a serious, transparent transition at the service of Colombians, never to legitimize the disaster or the disregard for the constitutional order,” said the president-elect.

In a press conference, Finance Minister German Avila said that he had also suspended cooperation with the transition process in response to comments made by a member of De la Espriella’s team, convicted fraudster Carlos ALonso Lucio, that “undermine the respect, dignity, and decency” of the transition process.

Recent statements by members of the incoming transition committee undermine the respect, dignity, and decency of a process such as the one we are carrying out. These statements were surely made intentionally to hinder the transition process. Accusations and insults have been leveled against the president and his administration, alleging that they are criminals, that they are manipulating the justice system, and that they are seeking to extradite us, among other blunders that have been made. 

German Avila

“All we have received are insults and disrespect, slander and offenses, and we will not tolerate a single further act of aggression or threat,” said the finance minister.

Avila asked Inspector General Gregorio Eljach to oversee the continuation of the process.

In a post on social media platform X, incoming vice-President Jose Manuel Restrepo stressed that his team would continue going through the books to make sure that “those who have betrayed the trust of the Colombian people must answer to the institutions and to history.”