Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) spoke out against newly elected leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Monday, predicting the leader would be “disastrous.”
DeSantis shared a video of his comments regarding Petro on Twitter.
“The election in Colombia of a former narco-terrorist Marxist is troubling and disappointing. The spread of left-wing totalitarian ideology in the Western Hemisphere is a growing threat. Florida stands with Colombian Americans on the side of freedom,” DeSantis said.
The election in Colombia of a former narco-terrorist Marxist is troubling and disappointing. The spread of left-wing totalitarian ideology in the Western Hemisphere is a growing threat. Florida stands with Colombian Americans on the side of freedom. pic.twitter.com/0O7UVccH6M
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 20, 2022
In the video, DeSantis noted his concern with the Colombia election’s results.
“We watched the election results down in Colombia and we have a lot of great Colombian Americans here in our state who were very concerned about what was going on and I think the results of that election have been very, very troubling for people that believe in freedom in the Western Hemisphere,” DeSantis said.
“To elect a former narco-terrorist and a Marxist to lead Colombia is going to be disastrous,” the governor added.
Petro won the nation’s presidency with 50.48% of the vote on Sunday, with challenger Rodolfo Hernández garnering 47.26%, according to the Associated Press.
“From this government that is beginning there will never be political persecution or legal persecution, there will only be respect and dialogue,” he said, according to the outlet.
In contrast with the approach of DeSantis to speak out against the Marxist leader’s victory, Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement claiming he is looking forward to working with Petro.
“On behalf of the United States, I congratulate the people of Colombia for making their voices heard in a free and fair presidential election. We commend the many officials, public servants, and volunteers whose dedication made these elections possible,” Blinken wrote.
“The United States and Colombia enjoy deep bonds between our peoples, shared values, and shared interests in democracy, security, inclusive economic prosperity, and human rights. Cooperation between the United States and Colombia has improved public health, livelihoods, rule of law and environmental protections in both our countries and throughout the region. We look forward to working with President-Elect Petro to further strengthen the U.S.-Colombia relationship and move our nations toward a better future,” he added.
Petro called the results a cause for celebration for the Colombian people.
The new election result is the latest example of Latin American nations electing leftist presidents. In 2021, Chile, Peru, and Honduras each elected a leftist leader. In Brazil, former leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading in recent polls.