Colombia’s Outgoing President Petro Publishes ‘Heil Hitler’ Message
Colombian President Gustavo Petro drew international condemnation after posting "Heil Hitler" on social media in response to a newspaper column supporting conservative presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella.
Petro, Colombia’s first Marxist president and a former member of the M19 terrorist guerrilla organization, is approaching the end of his term and will be forced out of office in August due to term limits. The outgoing leftist leader has become notorious for creating diplomatic crises through his erratic social media behavior, including confrontations with the United States and other nations.
The incident occurred on Sunday when Petro responded to an opinion column published in the Colombian newspaper El Espectador by journalist Felipe Zuleta Lleras. The piece, titled “Abelardo: The Surgeon Colombia Needs,” was composed using Google’s Gemini AI platform and advocated for de la Espriella’s election. The article highlighted the conservative candidate’s campaign pledges including reducing the size of the Colombian state, taking a hard line against organized crime and narcotics trafficking, and deregulating the economy.
The upcoming June 21 runoff election will be contested between outsider conservative Abelardo de la Espriella and far-left Senator Iván Cepeda, who represents Petro’s ruling Historic Pact coalition. De la Espriella secured nearly 44 percent of votes in the May 31 first round compared to Cepeda’s 40.9 percent.
Petro’s Nazi salute triggered swift condemnation from Israeli officials and international observers. Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling it a total loss of moral compass and an indelible stain on Colombia’s legacy.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon also rebuked the Colombian president, suggesting the comment may have been influenced by personal struggles amid widespread speculation that Petro battles substance addiction. Danon urged Petro to apologize before Wednesday, when the Colombian leader is scheduled to preside over a United Nations Security Council debate.
Colombia currently holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for June 2026, with its two-year term on the Council set to conclude at the end of 2027. Petro has a history of inflammatory statements regarding Israel, having compared the Jewish state’s defensive operations following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack to Nazi genocide. His sustained antisemitic rhetoric culminated in Colombia severing diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024.
The sitting president has repeatedly rejected the legitimacy of the May 31 election results, claiming without substantiation that fraud occurred against Cepeda. Notably, Cepeda himself has publicly stated his campaign discovered no evidence of electoral fraud and formally recognized the election outcome the following Sunday.
The Hitler salute represented only one element of Petro’s weekend social media outburst. Hours later, the president published an extended attack on de la Espriella’s vice presidential running mate, José Manuel Restrepo, labeling him a right-wing extremist for his Catholic faith—the predominant religion in Colombia. Petro incorrectly referred to Restrepo as “Juan” in his post.
In a separate lengthy message sharing video of journalist Lleras, Petro described him as an old liberal who claimed to be homosexual and free, warning that the journalist would tremble when homosexuals are hunted in the streets and prisons fill with innocent people.
De la Espriella, a 47-year-old conservative lawyer and businessman, has received endorsement from President Donald Trump. His campaign has centered on reducing government overreach, combating criminal organizations, and liberalizing Colombia’s economy. Petro’s term ends on August 7, when the winner of the June 21 runoff will be inaugurated.
With information from Breitbart News
