Iván Cepeda Acknowledges Election Results but Claims Dirty Campaign and Trump’s Interference in Colombia

Original article: Iván Cepeda reconoce resultado, pero acusa campaña sucia e injerencia de Trump en Colombia

In a message to the Colombian people, presidential candidate Iván Cepeda from the Historic Pact announced on Wednesday that he recognizes the election results, which declare right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella the victor. However, he made it clear that this acceptance does not signify complicity in silence regarding the serious irregularities that he alleges marred the democratic process.

“Accepting the electoral result does not mean renouncing the truth or remaining silent in the face of what we consider grave issues that marked this presidential campaign,” emphasized the progressive leader, who stressed that his decision stems from a sense of democratic responsibility aimed at preserving national coexistence and peace, “always on the side of popular participation, the Constitution, and popular sovereignty” despite what he termed as a “pattern of fraud” based on numerous anomalies during the voting day held last Sunday, June 21.

Cepeda Accuses Trump of Interfering in Colombian Elections

The former candidate denounced the blatant and inappropriate interference of U.S. President Donald Trump in Colombia’s internal affairs, claiming that Trump exerted his influence to benefit De la Espriella.

“Throughout this process, we denounced the open and undue foreign interference in Colombia’s internal affairs, particularly the interventions made by the Government of the United States and, in particular, the interventions by President Donald Trump to support the candidacy of Abelardo De La Espriella,” he stated.

Cepeda firmly pointed out that the campaign of the representative from the Defenders of the Fatherland movement resorted to massive vote buying and manipulative media strategies that, in his view, undermine the legitimacy of the future government.

These practices, combined with what he described as a “dirty campaign” orchestrated to discredit leftist forces, create a scenario that calls into question the transparency of the ballot and the popular will expressed at the polls.

In light of this, he made it clear that he will continue to push for clarity on the facts.

The electoral contest, which was decided by a margin of less than one percent of the votes, saw the Historic Pact and the Alliance for Life secure 12 million 700 thousand votes, representing, in Cepeda’s words, the highest vote ever achieved by popular and progressive sectors in Colombia’s republican history.

This massive support, he asserted, demonstrates that this project is not a minor political force, but rather a social and cultural articulation present in every corner of the national territory, uniting peasants, women, youth, and diverse territorial identities demanding social justice and structural transformations.

With conviction, the leftist leader categorically rejected the stigmatization aimed at linking the Historic Pact’s electorate with the so-called “gun vote,” an accusation that he claimed seeks to deny popular articulation based on historical consciousness and electoral memory of the popular sectors.

Cepeda defended the transparency of his political proposal and emphasized that his movement firmly refused to make mercenary concessions or unscrupulous pacts to seize power, unlike what characterized the opposing campaign.

Democratic Opposition and National Journey to Consolidate a Great Alliance for Life

He indicated that progressive forces will exercise “a democratic, vigilant, and constructive opposition, but also resolute and unyielding when it comes to defending the rights of the people,” adding that if necessary, they will engage in “resistance and peaceful civil disobedience.”

Thus, he warned De la Espriella that the Historic Pact will not allow the dismantling of popular achievements forged during President Gustavo Petro’s administration, including agrarian reform, pensions for the elderly, living wages, and free higher education.

He stated that if the right-wing candidate chooses the “path of dialogue, sensibility, and national understanding,” they would show “a sincere willingness to negotiate.”

Cepeda reaffirmed his commitment to initiate a new national journey to consolidate a great alliance for life and defend the country’s sovereignty against any model of authoritarian subjugation or the looting of natural resources.

Below you can watch Iván Cepeda’s complete message: