WASHINGTON: The United States and 12 members of the Shields of the Americas alliance issued a joint statement Friday calling on Colombian authorities to conduct a peaceful transition of power, after outgoing president Gustavo Petro cast doubt on the recent presidential runoff vote.
“We issue a firm call to all Colombian authorities to act in strict adherence to the Constitution, the law, and democratic principles...and to guarantee a peaceful, orderly, and transparent transition, in accordance with the highest standards of the Rule of Law,” the statement read.
Abelardo de la Espriella, the hard-right president-elect of Colombia backed by US President Donald Trump, earlier this week had asked his team to suspend the transition process with Petro´s administration over the leftist´s refusal to recognize the June election results.
Petro, who was constitutionally barred from seeking a second term, has since promised a “peaceful transition” and would remain in office until next month when De la Espriella takes his place.
In addition to Washington, the signatories included Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago.
