Bogota on Monday, Petro Alleged That Programmers Altered Thousands of Tally Sheets After Counts Were Transmitted to the National Election

Speaking to journalists in Bogota on Monday, Petro alleged that programmers altered thousands of tally sheets after counts were transmitted to the national election agency, and that metadata tied to vote tallies was hidden from review. He said the election was "obscure" and manipulated by foreign powers. Electoral authorities and international observers have rejected the fraud claims.

Officials declared in late June that de la Espriella, a conservative lawyer, defeated Petro's ally Ivan Cepeda by 250,000 votes. De la Espriella is due to be sworn in before Congress on Friday. Analysts say the allegations could deepen political polarisation.

Petro, a former rebel who became Colombia's first socialist president in 2022, is barred from a second term and has little ability to stop the transition. "We are facing a profound institutional problem, he said. "And it's the inauguration of an illegitimate president.

Petro's final months were marked by clashes with US President Donald Trump, who in October called him an "illegal drug leader" and ended US payments to Colombia. Petro responded that Trump was "rude and ignorant about Colombia. In January, after US forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump was asked about a military operation against Colombia and replied, "Sounds good to me.

Weeks later, US prosecutors began probing potential links between Petro and drug traffickers in his 2022 campaign. Petro said he fears being "extracted" from Colombia once he becomes an opposition leader, and has called for protests and "liberation guards" in rural areas. "I've been told to behave well, he said.

"But as a democrat, I cannot accept this electoral fraud. Andres Macias, a political science professor at Externado University, said the call could "justify the use of weapons by civilians" in conflict-affected areas.