politics

Colombia's outgoing president Gustavo Petro accuses Trump of intervening in his country's election

Updated on: June 5, 2026 / 9:21 PM EDT / CBS News

Colombia's outgoing president Gustavo Petro accuses Trump of intervening in his country's election

TL;DR

  • Colombia faces a runoff election between a far-right outsider and a far-left senator.
  • President Gustavo Petro accuses Donald Trump of election interference and ideological alignment against his progressive government.
  • Petro defends his policy of reduced forced coca eradication in favor of voluntary crop substitution, while critics question its funding and effectiveness.
  • Human rights groups report an increase in organized crime under Petro's administration.
  • The far-right candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella, received Trump's endorsement and narrowly won the first round of voting.
  • Petro warns of increased political violence if the right wing candidate wins, citing Colombia's history of polarization and global manipulation campaigns.
  • Critics question the government's coca cultivation data and the delay in publishing U.N. census figures.