Petro fears 'civil war' in Colombia after alleged electoral fraud

Colombia's outgoing leftist president, Gustavo Petro, said Monday he has evidence of fraud in the presidential election and warned that the far-right president-elect's rise to power could lead to "civil war."

Abelardo de la Espriella, 48, will be sworn in on Friday in a ceremony in the southwestern city of Cali, contrary to the tradition of holding the inauguration in Bogota before Congress.

"We are facing fraud and an undoubtedly profound institutional problem, namely the inauguration of an illegitimate president," Petro said Monday at a press conference.

Petro said June's runoff election involved "algorithmic, systemic electoral fraud on an enormous volume of votes," allegedly orchestrated from abroad against his ally, Ivan Cepeda.

"Foreign money and foreign companies with the capacity to manipulate algorithms" interfered in the outcome of the electoral process, Petro said.

Before the election, De la Espriella received an endorsement from US President Donald Trump.

Petro, who has denounced Trump's "interference" in Colombia politics, suggested Monday that De la Espriella intends to extradite him to the United States on false charges, and predicted a civil war in the country due to the public's rejection of those plans.

"It's crystal clear what a civil war in Colombia could look like," said the president.

He also presented his official portrait, which will be displayed in the presidential residence alongside other former leaders.

The left-wing bloc in Congress, led by Cepeda, announced it would boycott De la Espriella's inauguration and called for a day of mobilization against the new leader.

Others, meanwhile, fear an outbreak of protests like those Petro supported against his predecessor, Ivan Duque, which left dozens dead between 2019 and 2021.

With no political experience, De la Espriella promises to promote private investment, cut the size of the state by 40 percent and take a hard line against guerrillas and drug cartels amid the worst violence in Colombia in a decade after Petro's attempts to negotiate peace with various hostile groups.