The former Colombian president supported Abelardo De La Espriella ahead of the second round and warned about the risks that Gustavo Petro and his political sector pose to the country's democratic institutions
Less than two weeks before the presidential runoff in Colombia, former president Iván Duque launched harsh criticisms against the government of Gustavo Petro and claimed that the president and the official candidate seek to lead the country towards a “constitutional dictatorship.” The statements were made during a visit to Buenos Aires, where he analyzed the Colombian political landscape and the future of the presidential elections.
Duque described Petro's management as “tragic” and argued that the current president has contributed to deepening political polarization through a confrontational discourse. According to the former president, there is an attempt to gradually transform Colombian institutions to concentrate political power under the guise of democratic mechanisms.
The communist Gustavo Petro alongside the ex-dictator Evo Morales
In this context, Duque expressed his support for Abelardo De La Espriella, the candidate who will compete in the presidential runoff against the leftist representative, Iván Cepeda. The former head of state asserted that De La Espriella represents an alternative aimed at defending “freedom and democracy” and considered that the election will have a decisive importance for the institutional direction of the country.
The statements come amid a campaign marked by strong polarization and constant controversies regarding President Petro's political participation. In recent weeks, the president has maintained an active presence in the electoral debate, a situation that has generated questions from opposition sectors and discussions about the institutional limits of presidential intervention during a campaign.
Duque also expressed concern about proposals promoted by sectors close to the government in recent years, particularly those related to potential constitutional reforms.
Iván Duque alongside Argentine Economy Minister Luis Caputo
The former president's intervention reinforces the alignment of important figures from the Colombian center and right behind De La Espriella's candidacy. For these sectors, the runoff represents a choice between two profoundly different models for the country: one associated with the continuity of Petro's political project and the other focused on a change in institutional and economic direction.
As the campaign enters its decisive phase, Duque's words reflect the high political tension that Colombia is experiencing and anticipate an electoral dispute that could become one of the most significant in recent years.
