Colombia's Ombudsman Iris Marín urged President Gustavo Petro and Senator Iván Cepeda to respect the presidential election results on July 8 [1].
The appeal comes as the nation prepares for a transition of power to the incoming administration of Abelardo de la Espriella. Any failure to ensure a smooth transfer of authority, known as the empalme, could jeopardize the constitutional order and the continuity of the state.
Marín said that the current leadership must guarantee the transition process. She specifically called for the reactivation of the empalme to ensure the new government can take office without disruption [2]. The Ombudsman's office emphasized that no political interest should stand above the constitution [3].
"Desconocer las elecciones pone en riesgo la estabilidad institucional," Marín said [4].
The tension surrounding the transition has escalated with reports that President Petro and Senator Cepeda called for civil disobedience during the transition period [5]. This stance contradicts the Ombudsman's demand for institutional adherence, and the recognition of the electoral outcome.
Marín said that both the president and the senator must respect the results to avoid a crisis of stability [6]. The incoming team, which includes José Manuel Restrepo, awaits the formal reactivation of the handover process to begin organizing the new administration [1].
"Pedimos reactivar el proceso de empalme," Marín said [2].
The Defensoría del Pueblo maintains that the stability of the republic depends on the peaceful and legal transfer of power between the outgoing and incoming executives [3]. "El presidente Petro y el senador Cepeda deben respetar los resultados electorales y garantizar el proceso de empalme," Marín said [6].
“Desconocer las elecciones pone en riesgo la estabilidad institucional”
The intervention by the Ombudsman highlights a significant rift between the outgoing administration and the president-elect. In Colombia, the 'empalme' is a critical legal mechanism for administrative continuity; a failure to cooperate can lead to governance vacuums or civil unrest. The call for civil disobedience by Petro and Cepeda suggests a potential challenge to the legitimacy of the election results, placing the country's institutional stability at a critical juncture.
