Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in a telephone call with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday, confirmed he will leave office on 6 August and committed to a peaceful transfer of power. The conversation, disclosed by the Brazilian presidency, marks a rhetorical de-escalation after weeks of mutual accusations between Petro and president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, who won the 21 June run-off with 49.66% of the vote against Petro’s ally Iván Cepeda.

Petro has repeatedly alleged electoral fraud without presenting evidence and has called for mass protests on 20 July. De la Espriella, a right-wing lawyer who received vocal backing from Washington during the campaign, has accused the outgoing government of orchestrating a “coup” and suspended the formal transition process. In the call, Petro “reaffirmed his commitment to democracy and a peaceful transition,” according to a Brazilian government statement, while Lula thanked him for his friendship and cooperation on environmental and security matters.

Brazilian diplomatic assessments view the Colombian election as part of a broader conservative realignment in Latin America that aligns with the administration of US President Donald Trump. This shift, officials in Brasília say, will make regional integration bodies such as CELAC and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization more difficult to operate. In response, Brazil intends to “bilateralise” its relations, maintaining direct channels with Bogotá despite ideological differences. Lula had already recognised De la Espriella’s victory after the final vote count, stating that friendship between the two nations “transcends ideologies.”

Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president, leaves office after three and a half years during which Lula visited the country five times and the two leaders cooperated closely on Amazon preservation and combating transnational organised crime. De la Espriella is scheduled to be inaugurated on 7 August. The transition process remains suspended, and Petro’s Pacto Histórico party has said it will file a legal challenge to annul the election results. The call with Lula signals a willingness to avoid institutional rupture, but the dossier remains open as the planned protests approach and the new government prepares to take power.