Colombian President Gustavo Petro shows his ballot for the first round of the country's presidential election in Bogota on May 31. Petro voted to choose his successor for the 2026-2030 term, which begins August 7. Photo by Mauricio Duenas Castaneda/EPA
June 10 (UPI) -- Colombian President Gustavo Petro is facing a provisional suspension order while he is investigated for alleged improper participation in electoral campaigning -- a move that would be unprecedented in the country's democratic history.
Gloria Elena Arizabaleta, president of the House of Representatives' Investigation and Accusation Commission, requested Petro's temporary suspension Wednesday as a preventive measure to avoid a repeat of the alleged conduct while the presidential runoff campaign is underway.
The commission opened the case on its own initiative after reviewing multiple posts published by Petro on his personal X account. The posts allegedly favored candidates linked to his political movement, including Sen. Ivan Cepeda, while criticizing opposition sectors during the election campaign.
The investigation also includes technical reviews of the content and requests for information from the presidency.
