Gustavo Petro requests authorization from the Senate to leave Colombia after his term ends
Colombian former president Gustavo Petro has formalized this Tuesday before the Senate of the Republic his formal request to obtain the necessary permission to leave the national territory during the coming year. This requirement responds to what is stipulated by the country’s Political Constitution, which requires that every former president have the authorization of the Upper House to travel abroad after having concluded their presidential term.
In the communication sent to the plenary, Petro based his request on compliance with numeral 3 of article 173 of the Constitution and article 323 of Law 5 of 1992. The former head of state detailed that his intention is to attend to various personal, social, academic, and political commitments outside of Colombian borders during the twelve months following his departure from power, which occurred on August 7, the date on which he handed over the presidential sash to Abelardo de la Espriella.
Judicial situation of the former president
Gustavo Petro’s future is unfolding in a context of constant legal scrutiny. Currently, the former president faces more than a hundred judicial proceedings advancing in the House of Representatives’ Accusations Committee, the entity in charge of investigating high-ranking officials and former state leaders.
The investigations weighing on him focus mainly on two critical axes:
- Alleged irregularities detected in the financing of his 2022 electoral campaign.
- Multiple inquiries related to his alleged improper participation in politics during the recent electoral period, which concluded on June 21st.
Return to the opposition
Before finishing his administration, Petro confirmed his intention to return to his role in the opposition, the stage where he consolidated his political career for more than three decades. His career has been marked by his time as a congressman, mayor of Bogota, and leader of the opposition bench during the government of Ivan Duque (2018-2022).
Throughout his career, Petro has built his discourse on the constant denunciation of elites, inequality, and corruption, pillars that led him to become the first leftist president in Colombia’s recent history.
