Colombian President Gustavo Petro has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s public endorsement of a far-right candidate in Colombia’s presidential election.
Mr Petro urged Colombians not to become “slaves or a colony” of anyone. He said on X that when one country interfered in another’s decisions, freedom ceased to exist.
He therefore called on all Colombians to vote in a completely free environment.
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Abelardo de la Espriella on leading in the first-round vote.
Mr Trump said, “It is my honour to endorse Espriella wholeheartedly. Espriella is an independent candidate associated with the far-right defenders of the Homeland movement.”
Colombia held the first round of its presidential election on Sunday.
Preliminary results show Mr Espriella and Ivan Cepeda of the ruling left-wing Historic Pact coalition advanced to the presidential run-off after emerging as the top two candidates in the first-round vote.
Under Colombia’s constitution, a president serves a single four-year term with no re-election.
Mr Petro is not on the ballot.
The run-off is scheduled for June 21, with the winner to be inaugurated on August 7.

(Xinhua/NAN)