Outgoing Colombia President Petro Calls for Mass Protests Before Leaving Office

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BOGOTÁ: Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for nationwide demonstrations on July 20 and announced he will deliver a public farewell speech on the same day, just weeks before handing power to president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella.

In a post on X on Saturday, Petro invited Colombians to gather in public squares across the country after Independence Day celebrations to hear his final address as head of state.

“I invite you this July 20 to accompany the public movement and, after their parade, hear my farewell as the head of state of Colombia,” Petro wrote.

Petro said he chose July 20, Colombia’s Independence Day and the date the new Congress is inaugurated, instead of the traditional August 7 transfer of power, describing the latter as a “tragic date.”

He also urged supporters to take part in a “general mobilisation” demanding the continuation of his social reform agenda.

The move comes after conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella narrowly defeated Petro’s chosen successor, Ivan Cepeda, in June’s presidential election.

De la Espriella, who holds both Colombian and US citizenship and is backed by US President Donald Trump, has pledged to reverse Petro’s policies, cut the size of the state by 40%, boost private investment and adopt a tougher approach to crime.

He has also vowed to end Petro’s peace initiatives with armed guerrilla groups, saying he would revoke what he called the “perks” granted to “narco-terrorists.”

Responding to Petro’s call for mobilisation, De la Espriella condemned any calls for civil disobedience, describing them as “urban terrorism.”

“There will be no privileges for the violent here, nor any leniency for those who seek to defy the constitutional order,” he said in a post on X.