Colombian President Gustavo Petro questioned the results of the June presidential elections, stating that they were accompanied by large-scale fraud. According to him, the rise to power of the election winner, Abelardo de la Espriella, could lead the country into a deep political crisis and even civil war. In the second round of elections held in June, de la Espriella won by a narrow margin. His inauguration is scheduled for Friday and will take place for the first time not in the capital Bogotá, but in the city of Cali in the southwest of the country. At a press conference, Petro stated that he considers the new president illegitimate. "We are facing fraud and, without a doubt, a serious institutional problem — the inauguration of an illegitimate president," said the current head of state. According to Petro, there was "algorithmic, systemic fraud" in the second round of elections that affected a large number of votes. He also claimed that the alleged interference could have been organized from abroad and was directed against his political ally Ivan Cepeda. The president did not publicly present any evidence to support these accusations. The AFP report also does not provide information on the response of the electoral authorities or the team of the elected president to Petro's statements. During the election campaign, Abelardo de la Espriella was publicly supported by U.S. President Donald Trump. Petro had previously criticized Washington's interference in Colombia's internal politics and now claimed that the new president allegedly intends to seek his extradition to the U.S. based on false accusations. The head of state also warned that further developments could lead to serious internal conflict. "It is quite clear how a civil war in Colombia could look," Petro stated, expressing the opinion that part of society would not accept what is happening. The inauguration of the new president is set to take place on Friday. It is expected that only after the transfer of power will it become clear whether the political confrontation will escalate into a larger crisis.