A European Union mission that observed Colombia’s presidential election affirmed on Tuesday the transparency and efficiency of the country’s vote-counting process, amid President Gustavo Petro‘s concerns about the results. With nearly all votes counted, far-right outsider Abelardo de la Espriella leads by 1 percentage point, or approximately 251,000 votes.
“We have not observed any irregularities,” stated mission chief MEP Esteban González Pons, emphasising that Colombian legislation has been followed. Despite this, Petro and his protégé, progressive candidate Iván Cepeda, are contesting the results. Cepeda plans to challenge over 30,000 voting stations and will not accept results until a recount is completed, which electoral authorities expect to finalise this week.
More than 26 million voters participated in the historic runoff, with over 426,000 opting for a third, unnamed choice to express discontent with both candidates. The election was polarised, reflecting fears of renewed internal conflict.
González Pons remarked on Petro’s claims, stating, “It surprises us… that the President is denouncing irregularities that the candidates haven’t brought up.” Meanwhile, de la Espriella announced plans to form his Cabinet and aims to add Colombia to the “Shield of the Americas,” a coalition against criminal groups in Latin America.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
