Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that his government would not recognize the re-election of his Ecuadorean counterpart Daniel Noboa.
In two posts on social media platform X, Petro said he refused to accept the loss of the leftist candidate in the second round, Luisa Gonzalez, because “the OAS [Organization of American States] reports irregularities in the elections.”
The president stressed that Noboa declared a State of Exception, which partially suspended constitutional liberties, a day before the elections.
A State of Exception was declared in seven provinces. The army directed the election day, the polling stations during the elections, and the counting of votes. There are no free elections under a state of siege.
President Gustavo Petro
Petro additionally suggested that some of the results announced by Ecuador’s election authority CNE may have been fraudulent.
“I believe the government must deliver the minutes of each table for verification. Until then I will express myself officially,” said the Colombian president.
I want the best of diplomatic relations with our neighbors of the former Gran Colombia. I have good memories and friendship with President Noboa. I did not interfere at all in the electoral process and I kept my neutrality. But as in the Venezuelan case, things must be clarified as much as possible. Only this way I will have the certainty of not making a mistake.
President Gustavo Petro
Gonzalez, who lost by a significant margin, has also refused to accept the results of the elections that were held while Ecuador is suffering one of the worst security crises in history.
The OAS, which did report irregularities, said that the losing party in the elections failed to surrender evidence “that would back up their concerns or would demonstrate generalized irregularities that would put the electoral results announced by the CNE in doubt.”
