BOGOTA.- He Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia He called his ambassador in Argentina for consultations, Camilo Romeroin response to the controversial statements of the Argentine president, Javier Mileyabout the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro.
During an interview, Milei called Petro a “murderous communist who is sinking Colombia.” The Colombian Government strongly rejected these statements, considering them disrespectful and irresponsible, and affirms that they threaten the honor of President Petro, who was democratically and legitimately elected.
Through an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that Milei’s words ignore and violate the deep ties of friendship, understanding and cooperation that have united Colombia and Argentina over two centuries.
Ambassador Romero, in response, called the Argentine president a hypocrite, pointing to his past attitudes toward other regional leaders.
The Consul General of Colombia in Buenos Aires, Germán Gómez, also expressed his disagreement on social network X, stressing that a historical bilateral relationship cannot be sustained by insulting differences.
In the past, Milei, even as a candidate, expressed strong criticism of socialism, going so far as to call it “garbage” and “human excrement” in a Colombian radio interview. Petro, a former member of a guerrilla who signed peace in his youth, responded by comparing him to Adolf Hitler through his social networks.
Milei’s election as president in November last year, defeating the Peronist candidate, Sergio Massa, was seen by Petro as a “sad moment for Latin America.” Since then, tensions have festered, exacerbated by Milei’s ultra-liberal stances and his criticism of the regional left.
Milei, who came to power by defeating Peronism, blames the current opposition for the economic crisis in Argentina, which closed 2023 with an annual inflation of 211%. His positions have generated rejection in the Argentine unions, which carried out a general strike under the slogan “The country is not for sale”, demonstrating against the fiscal adjustment policies and reforms promoted by the new president.
These diplomatic tensions add to the controversies generated by Milei’s opinions on other Latin American leaders, such as the Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, whom he also criticized in the same interview, arguing that “he has the wrong ideas.”
Source: With information from AFP and Europa Press
