WASHINGTON — Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) are urging President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to dispatch a U.S. delegation to the inauguration of Colombian President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella next month, saying the move would signal American “solidarity” and provide “needed transition support” amid fraud allegations raised by the country’s outgoing leader.
Espriella is scheduled to take office Aug. 7 after narrowly defeating Iván Cepeda in a June 21 runoff election.
Cepeda acknowledged his loss on June 24, but Colombia’s left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, has alleged that the vote was tainted by interference from the United States and Israel.
“President Petro’s claims of election fraud are, of course, nonsense, and multiple observers have assessed the election was conducted transparently while fully complying with Colombian law,” Cotton and Moreno wrote.
“Petro is simply seeking to place his hand-chosen successor in power by alleging election interference,” the senators continued. “Petro’s actions endanger Colombia’s peaceful democratic transition and potentially jeopardize our relationship with the country.”
They argued that a stable, freely elected government in Bogotá is vital to advancing U.S. priorities in the region, including efforts to confront illegal immigration and narcoterrorism.
Trump, Rubio and officials with the State Department’s Shield of the Americas initiative have each publicly congratulated Espriella on his election victory.
Espriella, meanwhile, has paused the transition process and accused Petro of plotting a coup in an effort to hold onto power.
“As president-elect, I call on Colombia’s armed forces to honor their oath to protect the Constitution and democracy and to disobey any orders from Petro to the contrary,” Espriella said in a video posted last week on social media, in which he asked for other nations to monitor the transfer of power.
The tough-on-crime candidate had bested Cepeda by more than 250,000 votes, adding to the rightward shift of governments across Latin America — highlighted by the election of Argentine President Javier Milei in 2023.
Despite conceding the race, Cepeda had claimed Espriella needed to renounce his US citizenship before assuming office.
“If these conditions of legality are not met, as the leader of the opposition, I will embark on the path of peaceful civil disobedience that implies not recognizing the authority of someone who will not defend our national sovereignty,” Cepeda has said.
“Both of your personal congratulations and prompt recognition of Mr. de la Espriella after his election win in June sent a strong message of support to the newly elected Colombian government,” wrote Cotton and Moreno.
“We ask that you continue that support by making it clear that the United States government will participate in the peaceful transition to the presidency of Abelardo de la Espriella.”
“The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with [Espriella’s] incoming administration to advance our bilateral and regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen the economic ties between our two countries,” a State Department spokesperson told The Post Tuesday.
