Petro claims ‘coup’ imminent as Colombia’s Electoral Council reviews charges of irregular campaign financing

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has intensified his rhetoric, alleging an impending “coup” orchestrated from within state entities as the National Electoral Council (CNE) prepares for a pivotal meeting on Monday to review allegations of campaign financing violations during his 2022 presidential run. Petro has accused the electoral authority of participating in a politically motivated plot to oust him from office, escalating tensions and raising concerns about the integrity of Colombia’s democratic institutions.

The CNE, Colombia’s highest electoral authority, is set to resume debate over a report that accuses Petro and his campaign of exceeding the legally established spending limits in the 2022 election. The meeting comes amid an atmosphere of heightened tension following Petro’s recent public attacks on the CNE, where he suggested that the investigation is part of a larger conspiracy aimed at unseating him.

Petro has used social media and public speeches to claim that a “coup” is in progress, painting a sinister picture of a parallel state plotting against his administration. “No, friends, the coup will not happen with soldiers, as all of them have the order from their constitutional commander not to raise a single weapon against the people,” he stated recently. “It will happen with ties and desks, and this is the proof. They had to unconstitutionally impeach the president to start the coup, and it begins Monday.”

Given the escalating tension and the nature of Petro’s accusations, the CNE has taken extraordinary security measures for Monday’s session. Reports indicate that the meeting could be held in a military garrison or police command to ensure the safety of the magistrates. This unusual precaution reflects the gravity of the situation, as Petro’s rhetoric has implied that the magistrates are complicit in what he describes as a concerted effort to overturn the “people’s mandate.”

The CNE’s Monday session is seen as a critical moment for Petro’s presidency. The Plenary Chamber of the CNE is scheduled to resume its analysis of the report, prepared by magistrates Álvaro Hernán Prada and Benjamin Ortiz, which alleges that the Petro Presidente 2022 campaign exceeded financing limits by more than COP$5 billion (US$1.6 million). If endorsed by a majority of the council, the findings could lead to a formal investigation and potentially result in a Congressional vote on whether to remove Petro from office – a scenario unprecedented in Colombia’s history.

Petro’s assertions of a “coup” have stirred controversy and heightened political tensions between the Executive and Congress. His claims have been met with skepticism from various quarters, including the CNE itself. On Saturday, the electoral body issued a statement defending its authority to investigate potential irregularities in the financing of Gustavo Petro as an official candidate. The CNE emphasized that its actions are “strictly institutional” and operate “within the competence granted by the Constitution and the laws.” On Monday, Petro reiterated his stance on the socal media platform “X” that the “CNE has no constitutional authority to investigate the President.”

“In the particular case of the administrative investigation referred to by the President of the Republic, there is no legal possibility that calls into question the presidential privilege,” the CNE stated, dismissing Petro’s coup allegations. It further warned that “any allusion or presumption to the contrary, suggesting it lacks the authority to investigate, reflects ignorance of the country’s legal system.”

Seven out of nine magistrates are expected to present their conclusions and observations, setting the stage for a potential vote. The session faces two possible outcomes. The first scenario is a straightforward progression of the session, during which the magistrates would debate the charges against Petro and the former campaign manager, Ricardo Roa, now the president of state oil company Ecopetrol. The meeting could culminate in a vote on the report, which could see at least six votes in favor, according to an investigative report in Medellín’s El Colombiano.

A second scenario, according to news sources, is a postponement of the debate from Magistrate Alba Lucía Velásquez of the ruling Pacto Histórico party. This request must also be subject to a vote, but indications already suggest a majority may support the delay, potentially extending the decision process by at least another 15 days.

Petro’s strategy to counter the CNE’s investigation has centered on portraying the electoral body’s actions as part of an orchestrated effort to undermine his presidency. He has invoked the memory of past political scandals, such as the infamous Proceso 8.000, where then-President Ernesto Samper (1994-1998) was accused of receiving drug money for his campaign against the Conservative leader Andrés Pastrana.

The Proceso 8.000 scandal, named after the case number assigned by the Attorney General’s Office, revealed that the Samper campaign had allegedly received over US$4 million from the kingpins of the Cali Cartel. Despite the evidence, Samper maintained his innocence and remained in office after the Colombian Congress opted not to remove him. Petro has used this historical context to frame his current situation, implying that the investigation against him is part of a broader pattern of attempts to destabilize democratically elected leaders.

“If the CNE concludes that there was a violation of the spending limits, Congress would have to vote on a possible removal from office,” Petro noted, alluding to the historical precedent set by the Samper case. “Something very unlikely and that has never happened in Colombia, not even during the Samper administration after the revelations of the narcocasetes in the Proceso 8.000.”

As the CNE navigates a high-stakes investigation into finance violations of Petro Presidente, the outcome will test the resilience of Colombia’s judicial institutions. The CNE has requested extra security measures, including the option of meeting inside a police station or military garrision to ensure the integrity of the magistrates during the deliberations. Whether Petro’s allegations of a “coup” will resonate with the public from Monday onward, he has already summoned nationwide rallies on September 19 to defend the country’s first leftist government.