Oath at a military camp: Colombia’s president-elect clashes with predecessor and deepens institutional crisis

Abelardo de la Esperanza, winner of the presidential elections in Colombia, has confirmed that the inauguration ceremony on August 7 will be held inside a military complex, a decision that openly escalates the dispute with the still-incumbent president, Gustavo Petro, who has categorically opposed this initiative.

In a statement posted on social media, the radical right-wing politician explained that he intends to take the oath at a garrison located in the southern region, as a gesture of respect for the troops and security forces.

“My oath will be taken at a military base in the south, to celebrate national heroes and soldiers who are guardians of our democracy, freedom, and institutions,” he wrote.

This announcement came right after a sharp order from Gustavo Petro, who just a day earlier banned the use of any armed forces infrastructure for the power transition ritual.

The Colombian legal framework stipulates that the new head of state must be sworn in before Parliament in the capital Bogotá. Despite this, Abelardo de la Esperanza has approached lawmakers of the new legislature, which is expected to be constituted on July 20, asking them to authorize a ceremony inside a military base.

A newcomer to the political arena, the president-elect, a lawyer and wealthy entrepreneur, has warned of a hard line against illegal armed groups, calling for an immediate escalation of military offensives against them.

However, analysts and legal experts point out that moving the inauguration outside Bogotá presents major organizational challenges, considering that all members of Congress would be forced to travel to a military destination, which has not yet been publicly revealed.

Also, Abelardo de la Esperanza has expressed a desire for a “simple” inauguration, with reduced costs, in line with his platform to cut state apparatus spending.

The political climate in the country remains extremely tense. The outgoing head of state, Gustavo Petro, continues to maintain that he possesses evidence of manipulation in the presidential runoff, which helped Abelardo de la Esperanza secure a narrow victory. Petro has also called on his supporters to take part in large demonstrations on July 20, Colombia’s Independence Day.

Deepening the institutional conflict even further, the current president has underscored that, in his role as supreme commander of the military until the end of his term, he has ordered that no officer should render military honors to any civilian, except the serving head of state.