# Colombia’s Petro refuses to concede, claims poll was rigged 2026-08-08T19:41:43+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Colombia's outgoing President Gustavo Petro on Monday repeated claims that the June presidential election was rigged, alleging that tally sheets were manipulated by programmers after votes were transmitted to the national registrar. International observers and Colombia's electoral authorities have dismissed the fraud accusations. They certified conservative Abelardo de la Espriella as the winner, defeating Petro ally Ivan Cepeda by 250,000 votes. De la Espriella will be sworn in on Friday. Petro, who refuses to acknowledge the result, urged supporters in rural areas to form 'liberation guards' against military detachments he says are allied with mafia groups. Analysts warn this could fuel violence. The outgoing president said he fears being 'extracted' from Colombia after leaving office. Cepeda has vowed protests and will not recognise de la Espriella unless he renounces his dual US citizenship. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: Abelardo De La Espriella, Colombia election, electoral fraud claims, Gustavo Petro, political polarisation, presidential transition Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/colombias-petro-refuses-to-concede-claims-poll-was-rigged/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/colombias-petro-refuses-to-concede-claims-poll-was-rigged/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.