Andean Region in July 2026: the most important developments in politics
The Andean region in July 2026 was dominated by a dispute over the transfer of power in Colombia. On July 6 President Gustavo Petro announced that he would step down early, on July 20. The next day he said he did not recognize the president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, and called for protests. De la Espriella suspended the transition with Petro's government and accused Petro of a coup. On July 11 supporters of Petro's political movement filed a lawsuit seeking to block de la Espriella's inauguration.
The incoming government meanwhile set out its course. On July 14 María Nohemí Arboleda was named as the next mining and energy minister. On July 15 Colombia and Israel announced they would restore diplomatic relations, with the incoming government planning to move Colombia's embassy to Jerusalem. The incoming government also began cuts to peace-related bodies.
Earlier in the month, on July 3, Petro asked US President Donald Trump to remove him from a US sanctions list. In Peru, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulated Keiko Fujimori on her election victory.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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