Agencies
Bogota
A coup is underway in Bogota, Colombia. Or so the Colombian president Gustavo Petro claims.
On October 8, Petro took to social media to denounce what he alleges is an ongoing attempt to overthrow his government. “The coup has begun,” he wrote on his X profile.
Petro’s accusation came after Colombia’s National Electoral Council (CNE) announced it was set to launch an investigation into the financing of his 2022 presidential campaign over alleged breaches of spending limits.
Experts say the strong rhetoric is the latest evidence that Petro is struggling to maintain control midway through his four-year term, as a string of scandals threatens to overshadow Colombia’s first-ever left-wing presidency. The president has denied the accusations, labelling them instead as an attempt by his political enemies to manipulate the CNE to oust him from power.
“The jurisdiction of the President of the Republic of Colombia has been broken. Today, the first step of a coup against me as constitutional president has been taken. If carried out, this act would represent the greatest affront to our democracy in the history of the country,” Petro said in a speech shared on social media on October 8.
Petro, a former guerrilla, isColombia’s first ever leftist leader.
