Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused Israel of interfering in Colombia’s presidential election, claiming without publicly presenting evidence that Israeli actors were behind alleged manipulation of the country’s electoral software.
The allegation came after right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella claimed victory in Colombia’s presidential runoff, narrowly defeating leftist senator Iván Cepeda, Petro’s preferred successor. Reuters reported that De la Espriella campaigned on a hardline security platform, a stronger economy, and closer alignment with US President Donald Trump.
Petro, writing on X, alleged that servers connected to Colombia’s National Registry had experienced changes in IP addresses and claimed this showed the election system had been compromised. He then made the more explosive assertion: that “the only entity in the world capable” of such an operation was the State of Israel.
No independent evidence has yet been made public to substantiate that claim.
The charge is the latest escalation in Petro’s long-running confrontation with Jerusalem. His government broke relations with Israel over the war in Gaza, and Petro has repeatedly used harsh language against the Jewish state. Earlier this month, he drew condemnation after posting the phrase “Heil Hitler” in response to an op-ed backing De la Espriella.
De la Espriella’s victory marks a sharp rightward turn for Colombia after Petro’s left-wing presidency. The Guardian described the president-elect as a far-right political outsider, while Reuters reported that voters backed his promises to confront crime and revive the economy.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar congratulated De la Espriella and said Israel hoped to rebuild relations with Bogotá. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also welcomed the result, signaling Washington’s readiness to work with the incoming government.
Petro has called for a full recount and an audit of the electoral software. But the leap from alleged technical irregularities to an Israeli plot has raised obvious questions.
It is one thing to dispute an election count.
It is quite another to turn Israel into the villain of every political defeat.
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