Election in Colombia: De la Espriella asks the Army to defend results

Colombia's ultra-right presidential candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella, called this Sunday (31) for the country's security forces and the Army to act to defend the Constitution if leftist Iván Cepeda and President Gustavo Petro do not recognize the election results.

De la Espriella obtained 43.74% of the votes in this Sunday's election (31), ahead of Cepeda, who obtained 40.9% of the votes, according to the quick count released by the electoral body.

Cepeda, however, asked the organization for clarification, given alleged irregularities in the election.

According to him, there were discrepancies with around 800 thousand more electoral ballots than the total number of voters, in addition to signs in an undetermined number of tables in which there had been "atypical votes".

"[I make] a call to the Public Force and the Homeland Army to activate the constitutional mechanism in the event that this criminal intends not to recognize the will of the Colombian people", said De La Espriella, in a speech to followers, about the current president Gustavo Petro, who stated that he does not recognize the results.

Also addressing Cepeda, the candidate threatened: "Don't you dare insist on not recognizing the election results, because the people will rise up and punish you."

De la Espriella also asked the United States and other countries to closely monitor the Colombian electoral process against irregularities.

Election in Colombia: Petro rejects result and points out irregular voting | LIVE CNN

Source: CNN