Colombia: Petro Caves, Admits Transition Beginning with Abelardo de la Espriella
Colombia: Petro Caves, Admits Transition Beginning with Abelardo de la Espriella
Outgoing Marxist President of Colombia Gustavo Petro announced Tuesday that he will begin the transition with conservative President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella — a statement he wrote at the tail end of one of his longest and most unhinged social media rants to date.
“We are divided down the middle, and it is time to acknowledge and respect one another and reach an agreement. The transition will begin, along with my departure, and perhaps peaceful resistance,” Petro wrote on social media.
Petro had not publicly recognized the results of Colombia’s 2026 presidential runoff election. The message marked the first time Petro has announced that he will begin a transition process with President-elect de la Espriella’s incoming administration. Gustavo Petro is set to leave office on August 7, 2026, the last day of his four-year term.
Abelardo de la Espriella was elected the next president of Colombia in Sunday’s presidential runoff election, defeating Petro’s protegé, far-left Senator Iván Cepeda. On Tuesday, Colombia’s National Civil Registry announced that the final vote count of Sunday’s election is a 99.997-percent match with Sunday’s pre-count — confirming the results of the election and de la Espriella’s victory.
Petro’s message announcing the start of the presidential transition, however, was part of an over 4,400-word rant — split into seven posts — in which the Marxist president lamented the outcome of the election. Petro also levied new accusations of “electoral interference” against President Donald Trump over his endorsement of the conservative president-elect, comparing his endorsement to the circumstances that led to the annulment of the late 2024 elections in Romania.
“Well, we’re not in Romania but in Colombia, and in Colombia, a foreign president, with all the power of missiles and money at his disposal, has confessed that, thanks to him, the U.S. citizen Abelardo de la Espriella is now president. During his oath of citizenship, de la Espriella kissed the U.S. flag and swore allegiance to the United States above all other nations on earth, including Colombia,” Petro wrote, referring to de la Espriella’s American citizenship.
Petro argued that the results of the election do not mean that Trump “won in Colombia, and he knows it.” The president affirmed that Trump’s “interference” in the Colombian election gives him, Petro, the faculty to do “politics in the United States.” He stressed, however, that he must learn the English language first and find someone who can teach it to him.
“As President Donald Trump knows, I have a great many gringo and Black friends in the U.S., a great many, and they’re powerful because they’re always surrounded by decent people,” Petro said.
“My warm regards to Jesse Jackson’s family. I want to reread Walt Whitman in English, a true libertarian, and Ernest Hemingway, the author of ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls.’ For whom does the bell toll today?” he continued.
Despite the sheer emotional content of his extensive and at times nonsensical rant, Petro claimed that he is “not defeated. I am dancing, and if I weep I weep for my people for those who still choose their enslavers, executioners, and murderers.”
“I’m not crying for Colombia, Colombia isn’t crying for me because it will see me joyful, sometimes pensive, dressed in white, not like the drug lords, you idiots, drug lords hardly ever wear white, but they do wear black and a tie,” Petro wrote.
“I’m dancing, and I’m overjoyed by the great triumph my people have achieved before all of humanity, a beautiful people who didn’t let themselves be deceived by the algorithms funded by President Donald Trump and his friends, and the genocidal Netanyahu,” he continued.
In another part of his statement, Petro expressed dismay that he has to give up power. He stated that he finds himself in a position of having to hand over a “cold palace” and an “even colder” sword that belonged to Venezuelan founding father Simón Bolívar — which remains in the custody of the Colombian state. The relic, which was once stolen by the Marxist M19 terror group that Petro belonged to, had seemingly been co-opted by Petro the past.
“I feel as if I had to hand over Bolívar’s sword to a viceroy,” Petro lamented, referencing Colombia’s history under Spanish colonial rule.
Far-left Senator Iván Cepeda accepted the results of the election on Wednesday morning — recognizing Abelardo de la Espriella as the winner of the election and the next president of Colombia. Cepeda’s acceptance of the results, three days after the election, came hours after Petro published his latest long and unhinged rant on social media.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
