New Delhi: In the run-up to Colombian elections on 21 June, President Gustavo Petro has sparked controversy by posting “Heil Hitler” on social media in response to an El Espectador column promoting far-right presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella.
The column also denounced Iván Cepeda, candidate of the Left-wing coalition backed by Petro, and stated that Espriella was the best alternative to cut out the “cancer of complacency” and put Colombia back on course.Advocating for his “Defenders of the Homeland” movement, it further outlined Espriella’s uncompromising military and police offensive.
The piece argued that Colombia needs less rhetoric and more “order, authority, and economic freedom” to fix insecurity, crime and a bloated state, positioning Espriella as the “surgeon” for the job.Espriella, a lawyer known for his conservative views and combative public style, has campaigned for restoring security, reducing state capacity and rolling back many of Petro’s policies.Petro won in 2022 after his coalition Historic Pact swept through the elections. Colombia’s constitution does not allow for presidents to run immediately after holding office. While Petro remains out of the race, the Left coalition’s best hope is Cepeda.A longtime left-wing senator and human rights advocate, Cepeda has emerged as the standard-bearer of the governing coalition after Petro became ineligible to seek immediate re-election.The column terms Cepeda a product of clientelism, while stating that Espriella is “a self-made man from the private sector who is unafraid of challenging the establishment”.Petro’s Nazi comparison has irked many on social media, with some calling for his accountability to the Jews of Colombia.
