Shield of the Americas Countries Concerned by Gustavo Petro's Statements - EUROPE SAYS
U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared the joint statement issued by the 13 countries that make up the Shield of the Americas. Credit: X:@SecRubioThe so-calledShield of the Americas, led by the United. . .
U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared the joint statement issued by the 13 countries that make up the Shield of the Americas. Credit: X:@SecRubioThe so-calledShield of the Americas, led by the United States, issued a statement signed by the thirteen member countries expressing their concern thatColombia’s president,Gustavo Petro, has questioned the legitimacy of the June 21 elections in which Abelardo de la Espriella emerged victorious. “We observe with deep concern the recent statements and actions that, without duly justified grounds, call into question the integrity of the electoral process in the Republic of Colombia and generate uncertainty regarding the normal course of the institutional transition,” the joint statement shared by Secretary of StateMarco Rubiosaid. Gustavo Petro does not recognize Abelardo de la Espriella’s victoryAmong his most recent assertions, the Colombian president has stated that “the one who won the elections by popular vote was Ivan Cepeda; Abelardo’s victory was achieved with algorithms from California, and the algorithms were created by private intelligence companies from Israel. ”And although he has also announced that “the Colombian and U. S. justice systems, because the crimes were committed on U. S. territory, will have all the evidence (sic),” so far he has not provided any evidence to support his claims. Former candidate Cepeda, for his part, has announced that he will encourage civil disobedience ifDe la Esprielladoes not renounce his U. S. citizenship and clarify whether he works for U. S. agencies. The Shield of the Americas statement was shared by the U. S. Department of State and was also signed by Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago. The signatory countries rejected any action or decision aimed at discrediting the electoral authorities, disregarding the mandate granted by citizens, or obstructing the transition process between governments, and urged the Colombian authorities to guarantee a peaceful, orderly, and transparent transition, in strict adherence to the Constitution, the law, and democratic principles. They rejected President Petro’s statements, stating that they “seek to delegitimize the mandate conferred by the citizens, discredit the competent electoral authorities without basis, or obstruct the transition process. ” They also called on the Colombian authorities to act in strict observance of the Constitution, respect the results, and guarantee a peaceful, orderly, and transparent transition. The Shield of the Americas is a security and defense alliance promoted by the administration of U. S. President Donald Trump, officially launched in March 2026. Colombia is expected to join the organization after August 7, with De la Espriella’s arrival in power. The statement by the alliance of right-wing governments came at the end of the week in which Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared that he refused to recognize De la Espriella’s victory in the June 21 presidential runoff over the ruling party’s candidate, Senator Cepeda, alleging fraud without presenting evidence. Subsequently, De la Espriella, who has been publicly supported by U. S. President Donald Trump, stated in a video that Petro and Cepeda had launched a plan to “cling to power at all costs” through a “coup d’etat. ”Colombia’s vice president-elect expresses gratitudeWithin Colombia,De la Espriella has been receiving recognition as president-elect from broad sectors, including political leaders from the so-called political center who were defeated in the last elections, governors and mayors, and even the Green Alliance Party. Even the current government’s Defense Minister, Pedro Sanchez, acknowledged that De la Espriella won the election. Following the Shield of the Americas statement, vice president-elect Jose Manuel Restrepo thanked the Shield of the Americas for its declaration and Secretary Rubio for his “support for Colombian democracy. ”“We value the support of the international community in defending the democratic principles that unite our nations, and we reaffirm our willingness to work constructively with the United States and all of our allies, strengthening a relationship based on mutual respect, freedom, cooperation, and the defense of democratic institutions,” Restrepo added. Meanwhile, Bernie Moreno, the Colombian-American Republican senator, said that he will be part of the U. S. delegation attending De la Espriella’s inauguration as president. “The United States is ready to support the new administration and help advance security, protection, and prosperity in both nations,” he said.