The campaign of president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella has raised allegations of «voto fusil,» or voter coercion, as the electoral counting process in Colombia nears its conclusion.
Germán Calderón España, a lawyer on De la Espriella’s legal team, stated on Monday, June 22, 2026, that the electoral scrutiny process is in its final phase, with final results from the presidential runoff expected by the evening of Tuesday, June 23. He noted that according to their data, the official counting is nearly complete at regional levels, although institutional reviews are still pending.
Calderón outlined that the electoral process has achieved significant consolidation, reporting that “yesterday, 99.99% of municipal, district, and auxiliary scrutiny was completed, with a margin of error not exceeding 0.3%.” He expressed optimism that the formal declaration of final results could emerge within hours, contingent on administrative closures and requisite reviews. Multiple phases remain including municipal scrutiny, followed by departmental, general, and the National Electoral Council’s validation of the definitive presidential results. 
A central aspect of Calderón’s comments pertains to the legal objections lodged by De la Espriella’s campaign, notably concerning what he termed “voto fusil.” He explained that these objections focus on alleged voter coercion practices, highlighting irregularities in voting records that the campaign finds unusual. “Many claims have been filed regarding what is called voto fusil, namely the coercion of voters,” he stated during a radio interview.
Calderón indicated that some electoral forms revealed instances where the number of voters registered exceeded the votes for the presidential candidate, prompting the filing of complaints to the relevant electoral authorities. However, he did not provide specific figures regarding the total number of claims submitted by his team, noting that the total is still under internal review.
The discourse also touched on the fact that the campaign of Iván Cepeda has similarly raised numerous claims related to the scrutiny process. Calderón acknowledged a mutual review atmosphere between the two campaigns, where both sides are scrutinizing electoral behavior across various regions. He refrained from definitively commenting on the validity of these observations in specific areas, such as Norte de Santander and the Catatumbo region, known for its significant support for the elected president.
Calderón emphasized that the Colombian electoral system will resolve any controversies, with both campaigns’ claims needing assessment by the proper authorities before the process concludes. “It will be established whether Iván Cepeda’s claims are substantiated or whether ours are justified,” he asserted, indicating that the resolution may lead to minor adjustments or complete affirmation of the results based on technical and legal reviews by electoral bodies.
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