Colombia's Finance Minister Germán Ávila rejected accusations of misconduct Tuesday after President-elect Abelardo De la Espriella suspended the government transition process [1].

The breakdown of the transition, known as the "empalme," threatens the stability of the power transfer from outgoing President Gustavo Petro to the incoming administration. A failure to coordinate the handover of state affairs can lead to administrative gaps in governance and public service delivery.

Ávila spoke during a press conference in Bogotá on July 7 [2]. He addressed the decision by De la Espriella to halt the process, which the president-elect attributed to calumnies and aggressions from the current administration [3].

"No aceptamos calumnias," Ávila said [1].

The minister said that the outgoing team has faced a hostile environment during the handover attempts. He said the government has received only grievances and disrespect, adding that they will not accept further aggression or threats [3].

Ávila said that the administration remains committed to transparency despite the friction. To ensure the public is informed, he announced that the government will deliver all relevant reports directly to the citizenry [1].

"No admitiremos un insulto más," Ávila said [4].

The tension between the two camps has escalated as De la Espriella's team alleges a pattern of verbal attacks. Ávila defended the management of the outgoing government and framed the move to release reports publicly as a way to guarantee the integrity of the process [3].

“"No aceptamos calumnias."”

The suspension of the transition process signals a profound ideological and personal rift between the Petro administration and President-elect De la Espriella. By opting to release reports to the public rather than through the traditional transition channel, the outgoing government is bypassing the president-elect to avoid further conflict, which may complicate the incoming administration's ability to quickly assess state finances and policy status upon taking office.