The transition of power in Colombia has fractured along institutional and personal lines, with outgoing President Gustavo Petro announcing he will not attend the 7 August inauguration of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella and will refuse the traditional handshake. Petro, who has not provided evidence, continues to allege that 848,000 votes—particularly from Colombians abroad—were fraudulent, a claim rejected by electoral authorities and international observers. The defence minister, Pedro Sánchez, has publicly stated that the military will defend the constitution and recognise De la Espriella as commander-in-chief from 7 August, a declaration that analysts in Bogotá view as a direct rebuff to any suggestion of Petro attempting to retain power.

The incoming administration has outlined a far-reaching reconfiguration of the state. De la Espriella announced the elimination of the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, to be replaced by a Security Council, and the scrapping of over 200 posts, framing the move as a cost-saving measure and a rejection of what he calls “false peace” processes. He has also vowed to seek the imprisonment of Rodrigo Londoño, the former FARC commander known as Timochenko, and to dismantle the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the transitional justice tribunal. The JEP’s president, Alejandro Ramelli, has requested a meeting with the president-elect to establish a “constructive dialogue,” while noting the court’s legal protections under both domestic law and international oversight.

The peace accord’s international guarantors have responded with unease. The UN Secretary-General’s latest report on the verification mission, to be presented to the Security Council, warns that a “fluid and cooperative transition” is essential to preserve gains made under the 2016 agreement. The report notes that violence persists in regions where implementation has lagged, with 493 former combatants killed since the accord and ongoing displacement. Former FARC leaders, in a letter to De la Espriella, expressed their “unwavering commitment” to the peace deal and called for dialogue, while warning that “hate speech” from public figures could fuel further violence. Viewed from European capitals, the incoming government’s rhetoric has prompted concern about a potential regression in Colombia’s transitional justice framework.

The institutional standoff extends to the logistics of the handover. De la Espriella has proposed being sworn in at a military garrison, a move Petro has blocked, insisting the ceremony must occur before the civilian Congress. The new Congress, which received its credentials on 14 July, will convene on 20 July and is expected to debate the location. Beyond the inauguration, De la Espriella plans to govern periodically from Barranquilla, a symbolic shift that his allies present as decentralisation, though constitutional scholars note it does not transfer formal powers. With over 90 decrees prepared for his first days in office, the president-elect is poised to enact sweeping changes, while the UN mission and the JEP await concrete signals on whether the new government will engage with the existing peace architecture.