Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Sunday that he will deliver his farewell address on 20 July, the country’s independence day, rather than during the traditional transfer of power on 7 August to president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella. In a message on social media, Petro invited citizens to gather in public squares across the country for a “general mobilisation to shout for independence and the continuation of social reforms,” and said he would not participate in the August ceremonies, which he described as “tragic dates.” The move effectively sidelines the formal inauguration of his successor and shifts the political stage to the streets on a day that also marks the seating of the newly elected Congress, where the left-wing Pacto Histórico holds the largest single bloc.

Petro’s announcement follows the narrowest presidential election in Colombia in three decades. According to the National Electoral Council, De la Espriella, a 47-year-old businessman with dual US-Colombian nationality, defeated Petro’s political heir, Senator Iván Cepeda, by roughly 250,000 votes—less than one percentage point. Cepeda initially challenged the result, with his party seeking to annul tens of thousands of polling stations, but conceded after the official scrutiny showed a discrepancy of only 0.003% from the preliminary count. In parallel, Petro has stated he is preparing a legal challenge to the outcome. Cepeda has since declared he will pursue “the path of civil disobedience” unless De la Espriella renounces his US citizenship, halts what he calls “persecution” of Petro, and abandons any attempt to extradite the outgoing president to the United States.

Viewed from Bogotá, the early farewell and the call for street mobilisation are seen as a bid to consolidate the left’s opposition base and to frame the incoming government as illegitimate. De la Espriella, who campaigned on a hardline security platform and has promised to cut public spending by 40% and expand oil and gas extraction, will take office without a legislative majority. The new Congress, elected in March, is deeply fragmented, forcing the president-elect to negotiate constantly with a chamber where Petro’s coalition remains the largest force. Security analysts in the region note that De la Espriella’s victory capitalised on widespread public frustration with the worst wave of violence in a decade, as armed groups expanded their territorial control during Petro’s peace negotiations.

From Washington, the election outcome was welcomed by the Trump administration, which had publicly backed De la Espriella and previously imposed sanctions on Petro and his family, including revoking their US visas. De la Espriella has vowed to bring Petro and his allies before US courts, while Petro has accused his successor of benefiting from opaque campaign financing. The transition process remains stalled: Petro said he has not spoken with De la Espriella and is waiting for him to initiate the formal handover. The new president is expected to be sworn in on 7 August, but the political climate is already charged, with both sides mobilising supporters and the outgoing president’s legal challenge still pending.