Colombia’s presidency changed hands in two separate ceremonies on August 7. Gustavo Petro left the presidential palace in Bogota with limited protocol, while Abelardo de la Espriella took office in a larger ceremony in Cali, about 500 kilometers away.
Petro’s departure took place at Plaza de Armas in the presence of a small group consisting of his family and cabinet members who remained in office. The ceremony, accompanied by the Presidential Guard Battalion, featured no large audience, flags, official symbols of the transfer or elaborate protocol elements.
The minimum protocol required by the Constitution was followed, but the traditional presidential sash was not handed over. In Cali, de la Espriella assumed the presidency in a more grandiose ceremony attended by crowds in the stands and foreign guests. The contrasting scenes in the two cities on the same day were seen as a symbol of Colombia’s political polarization.
Petro questioned the election results
In the final hours before the change of government, Petro hesitated to recognize the election results and described the incoming administration as an “illegitimate government.” He also alleged that systematic vote fraud had taken place at more than 1,600 polling stations.
When Petro took office in August 2022, he pledged to implement the “Total Peace” policy, which sought to change the economic model, redistribute wealth, move away from fossil fuels and end armed conflicts in the country.
Other elements of this agenda included abolishing Private Health Promotion Organizations and establishing a universal basic healthcare system managed by the state, expanding pension coverage for low-income older people and conducting parallel negotiations with armed groups.
However, the broad legislative coalition broke apart in early 2023 following disagreements over healthcare reform. The administration, unable to secure a lasting majority in Congress, saw its key initiatives blocked, postponed or narrowed.
Negotiations conducted simultaneously with the National Liberation Army, groups that split from the FARC and powerful criminal organizations also faced intense criticism under the “Total Peace” policy. During this process, assessments that criminal organizations had expanded their territorial control and military capacity came to the fore.
Measurable progress was achieved in poverty and unemployment during Petro’s presidency. The administration also increased access to the presidency for various segments of society.
The administration faced corruption controversies
The credibility of the administration, which came to power on a promise to fight corruption, was shaken by various controversies throughout its term. Allegations emerged that disaster relief funds had been embezzled and diverted to bribe congressional leaders in exchange for support for reform bills.
Petro’s son, Nicolas, was detained in 2023 on money-laundering charges. The detention came after allegations that illegal campaign contributions had been received during the 2022 presidential election.
National electoral authorities also launched audits into allegations that spending limits had been exceeded during the 2022 presidential campaign. The reviews led to years of tensions between the institutions and the administration.
Controversies surrounding Petro’s inner circle continued in the final weeks of his term. Family members and former supporters publicly criticized his style of governance and political appointments.
Throughout his term, Petro frequently clashed in public with the high courts, the attorney general’s office and major business organizations. He described institutional opposition to his administration as an attempted “soft coup.”
Petro retained support in rural areas, labor organizations and marginalized segments of society, but his confrontational political style alienated middle-class urban voters and traditional political circles.
In one of the last online photographs he shared before leaving office, Petro posed in his office beside a portrait of Simon Bolivar. He described the portrait as “my comrade in struggle in the abandoned presidential office.”
Petro placed economic inequality, climate policy and social justice at the center of Colombia’s political agenda. However, the administration failed to turn its ambitious goals into lasting legislative achievements, leaving behind a politically isolated picture at the end of its term.
