Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella gives a military-style salute at a campaign event in Cartagena, Colombia, on Tuesday. De la Espriella appeared after a Bogota court ordered his campaign to remove electoral propaganda using national symbols and emblems of military and police institutions. Colombia's presidential runoff election is scheduled June 21, Photo by Ricardo Maldonado/EPA
June 11 (UPI) -- A group of former Colombian high court justices and prominent constitutional scholars questioned the presidential candidacy of attorney Abelardo de la Espriella, warning that the U.S. citizenship he obtained through naturalization could be incompatible with serving as Colombia's president.
The legal experts argue that a potential constitutional conflict exists because the U.S. naturalization process requires an oath renouncing allegiance to foreign governments and pledging loyalty to the United States.
In their view, that obligation could come into tension with the duties inherent to Colombia's presidency, particularly given the office's role as head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces, a position that demands exclusive commitment to the country's sovereignty, national defense and interests.
