Costa Rica has joined the United States and 11 other countries in urging Colombian authorities to guarantee a peaceful, orderly and transparent transfer of power following a bitter dispute over the country’s presidential election. The joint declaration expressed concern over statements and actions questioning the integrity of Colombia’s electoral process without presenting supporting evidence.
It called on the country’s authorities and political leaders to respect the Constitution, the law and democratic principles ahead of the presidential handover scheduled for August 7. The statement was signed by the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago.
The countries said the transfer between governments is a constitutional and institutional responsibility, not a political favor. They warned that respecting the official results is necessary to preserve democratic stability and honor the will expressed by Colombian voters. Costa Rica had already issued its own statement on July 7, saying it was deeply concerned by efforts to obstruct the transition to the government of president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella.
The Costa Rican Foreign Ministry rejected calls to disregard Colombia’s election results and criticized unsupported accusations against other countries when those claims are used to challenge the outcome. It called for full respect for Colombian law and a peaceful presidential handover.
De la Espriella, a conservative lawyer and businessman, defeated leftist Senator Iván Cepeda in Colombia’s June 21 runoff. He received 49.66% of the vote, compared with 48.70% for Cepeda, a difference of slightly more than 250,000 votes. The transition descended into open confrontation after outgoing President Gustavo Petro said he did not recognize De la Espriella’s victory and alleged electoral fraud without publicly presenting evidence.
De la Espriella responded by suspending meetings with Petro’s administration and accusing the outgoing government of planning a coup to remain in power. He also presented no evidence supporting that accusation. International election observers have defended the integrity of the voting process, describing the count as transparent, orderly and traceable.
Despite refusing to recognize his successor’s legitimacy, Petro has said he will leave office and transfer power on August 7, as required by Colombia’s Constitution. He has also called on supporters to participate in demonstrations on July 20. The regional declaration did not identify Petro, De la Espriella or Cepeda by name. Instead, it directed its appeal at all Colombian authorities and political actors as tensions continue less than a month before the inauguration.
