President Gustavo Petro delivered his final address to Congress during the installation of the 2026-2030 legislative period on July 20, 2026. In his speech he called for a second independence cry and defended the total peace policy.
During the Congress installation in the elliptical hall, Petro noted that monetary poverty stood at 28% in 2025 according to DANE and that the Gini coefficient fell to 0.507 points. He also reported that unemployment reached 8.1% in the latest month, the lowest rate of the century.
The president criticized President-elect Abelardo De la Espriella for his intention to restore relations with Israel and stated that the next government would respond to United States interests. Petro declared that Colombia had moved from republic status to viceroyalty status.
In his final message, Petro urged political forces to exercise opposition in the streets and warned that if labor reforms or agrarian reform are affected, general strikes and national agrarian stoppages would be promoted. The event included the election of the Senate President between Honorio Henríquez and Alfredo Deluque.
