Francia Márquez, following Álvaro Leyva's statements: "There's no way I'd lend myself to conspiracy theories."

In a harsh statement published on her X account, Vice President Francia Márquez referred, for the second time, to the mentions made by former Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva in the audio recordings revealed by the Spanish newspaper El País , in which he is linked to an alleged attempt to facilitate the departure of President Gustavo Petro from power.

Márquez denied any involvement in such a scheme, warned against the misuse of his name, and denounced the racism that, in his opinion, has fueled the accusations against him.

“I told you before and I repeat it now: there is no possibility that I would lend myself to conspiracies that threaten our democracy. Now, whoever used my name without my consent is making it clear why they did so, despite the damage caused. I am left with the peace of mind of a clear conscience,” said Márquez, in response to Leyva's new statements in Semana magazine.

In the audio recordings, it's worth noting, Leyva speaks of conversations with "armed and unarmed actors" and suggests that Márquez could be a consensus figure to replace President Petro. He even mentions pre-candidate Vicky Dávila as part of the equation, who has also denied her involvement and directly confronted him in a recorded phone call.

The vice president not only denied the incident, but went further, claiming that her name had been exploited. "This episode served those who resent my presence in a position we democratically won to damage my name. Even some who call themselves progressives didn't hesitate for a second to call me a traitor, all because of that hidden racism that many are ashamed to acknowledge," she added.

Márquez also demanded public rectifications from those who accused her without evidence. “I hope that those who unhesitatingly accused me of this infamy, some even demanding my resignation, have the moral standing to acknowledge their mistake and rectify it. May this be an opportunity to reaffirm my firm commitment to the Colombian people to continue working with dignity for peace and social justice,” she concluded.

In the interview given this Saturday in Semana , the former foreign minister said he never proposed a coup plan to her, although he did express his capabilities to assume the presidency. "She smiled, and what can she say... 'Oh, you're so kind, doctor,'" Leyva said of that conversation.

He also denied the existence of a conspiracy and stated that his mention in the audio recordings was based on his personal opinion in the event that President Petro were to leave power for other reasons.

“I simply said that Francia Márquez is a worthy successor, but there's nothing there that has to do with a coup by Francia Márquez, because she doesn't need to stage one. If Petro leaves, if tomorrow they say Petro rests in peace, what do we do? If tomorrow Petro falls ill and can't govern, what do we do? Do we put Benedetti in or who else? What does the Constitution say? That the vice president takes over,” Leyva stated, adding that the last time he met with the vice president was three months ago.

Regarding the accusations against him, Leyva reiterated that his comments do not constitute a conspiracy: "Saying that Francia Márquez would be a better president than Petro is a personal opinion. There's nothing behind it." He also clarified that his statement in the audio recordings, where he claims to be "on top of her," refers to concern about "the unfair treatment she has received."

CAMILO A. CASTILLOPolitical EditorX: (@camiloandres894)