Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated Monday that the preliminary count shows a 49%-49% tie, preventing a clear winner, and warned he will defer to the courts. He alleged that election software had been breached and IP addresses altered on servers of the national civil registry, asserting that only Israel has the capability to do so, according to Asaf Rozentzweig (N12). No evidence has been publicly provided.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro escalated his challenge to the presidential election outcome early Monday, claiming that preliminary tallies show a statistical dead heat between himself and right-wing rival Abelardo de la Espriella. In remarks reported by journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12), Petro said the count stood at 49% for each candidate and that he would not declare a winner but would abide by the courts.
Petro also alleged that his government has evidence of an election software breach, specifically that IP addresses on several servers of Colombia's national civil registry were altered — an intervention he says only the State of Israel could have carried out. No forensic or judicial evidence has been made public. The claim builds on a thread The Zioneer tracked since Mon 03:48 Jerusalem: initial reports carried Petro's refusal to recognize the result; by later that hour he alleged Israeli IP-meddling on registry servers; and by Mon 07:15 Jerusalem he explicitly said the interference was intended to favor the right-wing candidate, still without evidence.
As The Zioneer reported, de la Espriella was declared the winner by Colombian electoral authorities, and Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar invited him to Jerusalem, expecting restored ties. Petro's suspension until June 21 by Colombia's congressional disciplinary committee, reported Jun 10, forms the backdrop to his refusal to concede — a pattern of anti-Israel rhetoric The Zioneer has documented since May.
What remains open: Petro has presented no public evidence for the alleged IP address changes or any Israeli involvement. Colombian electoral authorities have certified de la Espriella's win; no independent forensic audit of the registry servers has been announced.
6 developments
- StrongFM Sa'ar congratulates Colombia's de la Espriella on victory, invites him to Israel
- DevelopingPro-Israel candidate Abelardo de la Espriella wins Colombia presidency, pledges Jerusalem embassy move
- DevelopingFormer Colombian President Gaviria endorses de la Espriella, voices trust he will uphold the 1991 constitution
- DevelopingColombia's congressional disciplinary committee suspends President Petro pending election-interference probe
Source and signal
- Internal intake