Overview
- Petro submitted a formal letter to the Senate requesting authorization to remain outside Colombia for one year after finishing his presidency.
- The request invokes Article 196 of the 1991 Constitution, which says anyone who has held the Presidency needs prior Senate permission to leave the country during the year after their term.
- Congressional rules in Ley 5 de 1992, article 322, give the Senate the procedural authority to consider such petitions and require the plenary to rule on them.
- In his letter Petro said the travel would cover personal, social, political and academic commitments, and the filing does not mean the Senate has approved his departure.
- The restriction is time‑limited to the first post‑term year and differs from in‑office travel rules; the Senate decision will determine Petro’s immediate plans and could prompt public debate about how the rule applies to recent presidents.