Colombian Government Dismisses Claims of Presidential Suspension

(MENAFN) Colombian officials and lawmakers have pushed back against reports suggesting that President Gustavo Petro had been temporarily removed from office, insisting that the alleged decision has no legal standing and was issued by a body without the authority to take such action.

The controversy emerged after a document circulated online claiming that Petro would be suspended from his duties until June 21. However, government representatives quickly challenged the validity of the report.

Interior Minister Armando Benedetti stated on social media that the Commission of Investigation and Accusation, the body reportedly linked to the document, functions solely as an investigative institution and does not possess the constitutional power to suspend a sitting president.

Benedetti explained that Colombia’s legal framework requires a different process for any such action. According to him, only the Senate can decide on the suspension of a president, and only after the House of Representatives has formally acted as the accusing body in criminal or disciplinary proceedings.

House Representative Alirio Uribe Muñoz also rejected the authenticity of the alleged order, saying it had never been officially submitted to the commission’s secretariat nor discussed through the institution’s internal procedures.

“It is legally nonexistent. It appears to be the leak of a draft with no legal existence,” he said.

According to reports, the document circulating online was purportedly signed by the president of the commission and claimed that Petro would be suspended temporarily. Colombian officials, however, maintain that the document carries no legal effect and does not constitute a valid decision under the country's constitutional procedures.

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