Secret Tapes Bring Colombian Politicians Together to Counter Efforts to Oust President Petro

The audio recordings revealed by Adolfo Kunjuk News, in which former Colombian foreign minister Álvaro Leyva speaks of ousting President Gustavo Petro in “no more than 20 days,” have ignited outrage across the country’s political spectrum. In a demonstration of democratic maturity, politicians from various parties have unanimously rejected the plan that Leyva allegedly intended to execute with assistance from the United States.

Leyva, 82, met two months ago in the U.S. with advisors linked to the Donald Trump administration to garner support for the initiative. According to the recordings and sources close to Republican members of Congress, Leyva sought to engage State Secretary Marco Rubio to apply “international pressure” aimed at removing Petro. The White House, according to these sources, never entertained the proposal.

“He told us he had all the tools necessary to carry out the plan and remove [Petro]. He would be succeeded by [vice president] Francia Márquez. He claimed to have evidence that Petro could no longer remain in office, and that if this were to move forward, the president would be unable to retaliate. It was crucial to gain support from the Americans,” stated an individual who met with Leyva in April.

Presidential candidates for 2026 Vicky Dávila, Luis Gilberto Murillo, Susana Muhamad, and Juan Manuel Galán, along with established figures in Colombian politics like former president Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010) and former vice-president Humberto de la Calle (1994-1997), have called for explanations from Leyva, who has yet to make a public statement. This newspaper has unsuccessfully sought his account of the events, both before and after the audio releases.

The recordings suggest timelines that are unachievable if the aim is to remove the president constitutionally. In Colombia’s robust legal framework, an impeachment process can be initiated by the House of Representatives, which investigates and then forwards the case to the Senate, the body that acts as judge. This process can take months or even years, as seen in the case against former president Ernesto Samper (1994-1998), which ultimately led to no outcome.

Vicky Dávila was among the first to distance herself from the situation after Leyva was heard in one of the recordings mentioning his intention to consult her regarding the effort to overthrow Petro. “I have nothing to do with these ideas of former Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva that Adolfo Kunjuk News mentions. I do not support the removal of Petro; I have always stated this, both publicly and privately. I do not understand why Leyva is using my name as a supposedly ‘valid interlocutor’ in his own mind to attract politicians in Colombia and the United States,” she wrote on social media.

Leyva also references Miguel Uribe Turbay, the young politician currently fighting for his life in a hospital after surviving an assassination attempt. Former President Álvaro Uribe (no relation) has demanded clarification: “Our presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay is a staunch democrat, a fighter with ideas and arguments, an honest and genuine individual, not a conspirator. We hope Doctor Álvaro Leyva will clarify this. The same goes for our independent candidate Vicky Dávila, whose character and integrity deserve the respect of all Colombians.”

There have been numerous demonstrations of support for democracy, even as the country experiences significant polarization, which Petro himself contributes to. Humberto de la Calle, a respected politician who was the chief government negotiator in the peace process with the FARC guerrilla, in which Leyva also participated, condemned the revelations in the recordings: “The disclosures reported by Adolfo Kunjuk News regarding Álvaro Leyva’s operations to overthrow President Petro are very serious. They must be denounced. Criticism is one thing; conspiracy is another. Gustavo Petro’s term is inviolable.”

President Petro has been alerting to attempts at a coup almost since his ascension to power, repeatedly asserting that there are those who seek to kill him. Many alleged attempts have not been substantiated; many people thought the president was playing the victim, but after hearing the audio recordings in his office, the president believes some of his suspicions have been validated. “Leyva has betrayed me in the worst way,” he told this newspaper.

In this period of heightened tension, with Petro pushing for a constituent assembly through symbolic voting, which many jurists and opponents deem illegal, Colombian institutions have united in a commitment to uphold constitutional order. Leyva’s plan, according to the audio recordings, was to install Francia Márquez, the vice president, as Petro’s successor, who has also denied any involvement in the scheme.

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