COLOMBIA’S outgoing President Gustavo Petro has called a nationwide mobilisation on July 20 — the country’s independence day — in defence of the social reforms his administration led.

Fears are rife in Colombia that the election of Abelardo de la Espriella will see the reversal of land redistribution — beneficiaries are already reporting attacks by paramilitaries linked to the old landowners — and of environmental protection measures like the ban on new drilling and mining operations in the Amazon rainforest.

To avoid violence, left-wing presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda has conceded the election though critics, including Mr Petro, allege fraud. The election was also subject to prominent intervention by foreign leaders, most obviously US President Donald Trump.

“July 20 will be a day of general mobilisation to defend independence and the permanence of the social reforms,” Mr Petro declared on Sunday. He also saluted “today’s event in Cali, where Senator Ivan Cepeda began organising the resistance.”

Mr Cepeda is leading a campaign of civil disobedience aimed at forcing president-elect de la Espriella to renounce his US citizenship.

In a letter last month, legal experts called on Mr de la Espriella — a citizen of both Italy and the US as well as Colombia — to do this.

“His Italian citizenship does not raise any legal concerns… but US citizenship presents obstacles because acquiring it requires taking an oath that entails legal commitments and obligations to that country, which are incompatible with the duties of the president of Colombia,” they argued.

Aside from being publicly endorsed by Mr Trump, Mr de la Espriella has also said that if he encounters problems he will ask the US president to come to Colombia and sort them out.

Mr Petro called for citizens to rally for the independence day parade.

“We will not give [the farewell speech] on August 6 or 7” (when Mr de la Espriella will assume power), “these are tragic dates,” he said. “We will do it on July 20 in every public square across Colombia. July 20 will be the cry of independence of a free people for a free Colombia and for the social reforms.”

Though losing the presidency, the left coalition Historic Pact is the largest single bloc in the legislature, giving it a platform to resist reversal of its achievements.