Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Tuesday suspended the transfer-of-power process from the administration of incumbent President Gustavo Petro, the Associated Press reported.

The decision came after Petro on Monday refused to acknowledge de la Espriella’s election victory, alleging fraud but providing no evidence to support his claims.

Conservative politician de la Espriella, who was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump, said on social media platform X that the transition process would be suspended “immediately” with the “corrupt” government whose term ends in a month.

He accused Petro’s administration of trying to “destroy Colombia” through its “decisions and actions.”

The transition process, known in Colombia as empalme, is the official procedure under which the outgoing administration provides the president-elect with the information needed to prepare to govern the country. However, the transition period between political rivals Petro and de la Espriella has been marked by mutual accusations.

Colombian Finance Minister German Avila, who is coordinating the transition process on behalf of Petro’s administration, responded by ordering his team to suspend its work.

In a televised address, he criticized statements by members of de la Espriella’s transition team, saying: “The transfer-of-power process is not a criminal investigation or a court proceeding. We have absolutely nothing to hide.”

De la Espriella said he would explain the reasons for his decision to suspend the process and outline the next steps in the coming hours.

The businessman and lawyer, whose ventures include a clothing line, wine and rum brands, and a restaurant business, received the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump despite never having previously held elected office.

Following the second round of Colombia’s presidential election on June 21, de la Espriella was declared the winner. He defeated left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda by about one percentage point — more than 251,000 votes.

The election result was effectively seen as a verdict on the outgoing government of Gustavo Petro, whose policies Cepeda had promised to continue, including the largely unsuccessful attempt to establish dialogue with several armed groups.

After the runoff, the European Union’s observation mission noted the transparency and efficiency of the vote count. The Carter Center said the election results processing system was “reliable, transparent, and fully traceable.”