Colombia’s ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) warned his colleagues of “systematic actions aimed at overthrowing President Gustavo Petro.”
According to ambassador Luis Ernesto Vargas, political opponents of the government and news media “seek to discredit the Colombian government to limit its capacity for action.”
Some media outlets spread false news and instill fears regarding the national government’s reforms or decisions.
Ambassador Luis Ernesto Vargas
Additionally, administrative authorities “issue administrative orders that suspend political rights with a special bias against members of the government coalition” in Congress, said Vargas.
The ambassador also lambasted the controversial National Electoral Commission, which has been investigating the president’s 2022 election campaign over alleged spending violations.
The ongoing investigations are “extemporaneous, lacking in impartiality, with clear political bias” are are characterized by a “lack of transparency in the processes and an absence of solid evidence.”
The ambassador echoed increasingly specific accusations made by Petro and his supporters about what they call an impending “silent coup.”
The president has been particularly vocal about the role of corporate media in the alleged coup plot Petro has attributed to powerful oligarchs and far-right politicians.
The president’s attacks against the media have increased tensions with press freedom foundation FLIP, which has accused Petro of stigmatizing journalists.
Earlier this week, the president issued a directive that ordered government employees to refrain from stigmatizing journalists.
At the presentation of this directive, however, Petro stressed that he remained the right to defend himself and highlighted the role of media in coups, particularly that of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
