Political Crisis in Colombia: Nine Parties Withdraw from the Electoral Commission and Disavow Petro as Guarantor
Nine opposition political parties and independent movements in Colombia rejected President Gustavo Petro and the Minister of the Interior as guarantors of the electoral process. They are requesting a new commission under the supervision of the Attorney General's Office.
A new episode of institutional tension is shaking Colombia. This Monday, nine opposition and independent political parties publicly announced that they do not recognize President Gustavo Petro or Interior Minister Armando Benedetti as legitimate guarantors of the 2025 electoral process.
In a joint statement, the parties affirmed that they will withdraw from the Electoral Monitoring Commission convened by the government and will ask Attorney General Gregorio Eljach to convene a new guarantees commission chaired by the Attorney General's Office, in pursuit of a "truly impartial process."
"President Petro has demonstrated political bias and electoral misuse of the state apparatus. We cannot continue to validate a process that has been tainted from the outset," stated one of the leaders of the opposition bloc.
Reasons for the split
The signatories argue that there are serious doubts about electoral transparency and the conduct of Minister Benedetti, who has been accused of alleged political interference in regional elections and favoring candidates aligned with the ruling party.
Furthermore, they denounce that the minimum conditions of equity and pluralism are not guaranteed in the run-up to the legislative and presidential elections scheduled for 2026.
Government Reaction
Interior Minister Armando Benedetti rejected the accusations and called the decision "electoral and destabilizing."
"The parties protesting today are the ones that have most attempted to capture the state in the past. Today they want to delegitimize the institutions because they know they cannot win at the polls," Benedetti stated on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
What's next?
The Attorney General's Office has not yet officially responded to the request, although sources close to the agency assure that legal scenarios are being evaluated to mediate the crisis without violating the constitutional powers of the Executive Branch.
Analysts believe this act could mark the beginning of a polarized electoral campaign, with institutional legitimacy at the heart of the debate.
#Atención Nueve partidos políticos independientes y de oposición anunciaron que no reconocen al presidente Petro y al ministro del Interior, Armando Benedetti, como garantes del proceso electoral y no participarán en la Comisión de Seguimiento Electoral convocada por el Gobierno… pic.twitter.com/Gmf4irUu7o — K13 News (@K13News) June 10, 2025
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