Colombian President Gustavo Petro sparked outrage this week after posting the phrase “Heil Hitler” on social media in response to a newspaper column endorsing conservative presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, a law-and-order candidate who has openly aligned himself with many of United States President Donald Trump’s policies.
Petro’s post consisted solely of the words “Heil Hitler” and appeared as a reply to a social media post promoting a <a href="https://www.elespectador.com/opinion/columnistas/felipe-zuleta-lleras/abelardo-el-cirujano-que-colombia-necesita/">column</a> by Colombian commentator Felipe Zuleta Lleras. The column praised De la Espriella as the candidate best positioned to restore security, reduce the size of government, and reverse the policies of Colombia’s political left.
The article argued that Colombia needs “order, authority and economic freedom,” praising De la Espriella’s proposals for a military crackdown on organized crime, the construction of mega-prisons, tax reductions, and a dramatic reduction in the size of the state.
“Voting for him is not simply electing a president; it is opting for a surgeon determined to operate the nation’s structural problems without his pulse shaking,” the column concluded, translated from spanish.
Petro’s disturbing response came as Colombia <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w2xvwq8g9o">heads toward a June 21 presidential runoff</a> election that has become a referendum on the legacy of the left-wing president’s administration.
Sunday’s first-round vote saw De la Espriella finish first with 43.7% of the vote, narrowly ahead of left-wing Sen. Iván Cepeda, an ally of Petro, who received roughly 41%.
De la Espriella, a businessman and attorney known as “El Tigre,” has campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform, promising a major military offensive against cartels and guerrilla groups, expanded cooperation with the United States, and a dramatic reduction in Colombia’s bureaucracy. The conservative candidate has frequently praised Trump and advocated stronger security partnerships with Washington.
Petro, meanwhile, has often clashed with Trump and has criticized what he describes as excessive American influence in Latin America. Although relations between the two leaders improved after a White House meeting earlier this year, the Colombian president has repeatedly attacked U.S. foreign policy and aligned himself with left-wing movements throughout the region.
The “Heil Hitler” post is particularly notable given Petro’s long history of invoking Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in political disputes.
Immediately following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel, Petro repeatedly <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/colombian-president-says-those-who-say-he-is-anti-semitic-are-ignorant-/3022238">compared</a> Israel’s military operations in Gaza to Nazi Germany. He accused Israel of operating “concentration camps,” suggested that Hitler was being “reborn” through modern political movements, and drew comparisons between Israeli military actions and the Holocaust.
Those remarks prompted sharp criticism from both Israeli and American officials.
Israeli diplomats accused Petro of making hostile and antisemitic statements after he repeatedly refused to explicitly condemn Hamas while escalating his criticism of Israel.
Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, later testified before Congress that Petro’s <a href="https://thecitypaperbogota.com/news/united-states-condemns-petro-for-crossing-red-line-with-antisemitic-remarks/">comments</a> had crossed a “red line.”
“It is offensive and unfortunate that leaders like Petro have compared what is happening with Hitler,” Lipstadt said during a House hearing focused on rising antisemitism in Latin America. She also criticized Petro’s rhetoric for undermining peace efforts and contributing to concerns within Colombia’s Jewish community.
Petro has repeatedly denied accusations of antisemitism, arguing that his criticism is directed at the Israeli government rather than Jewish people. In October 2023, he claimed accusations that he supported Hamas or harbored anti-Jewish views were the product of “ignorance.”
Yet his latest social media post demonstrates a continued willingness to invoke Nazi imagery against political opponents.
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Colombia as voters prepare to choose between two starkly different visions for the country’s future. De la Espriella has promised an aggressive crackdown on crime, closer ties with the United States, and sweeping free-market reforms. Cepeda, backed by Petro, has pledged to continue many of the current administration’s policies, including negotiations with armed groups and expanded social programs.
As of publication, Petro had not publicly elaborated on the meaning of his “Heil Hitler” post or offered any clarification regarding the remark, nor has the post been deleted.

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Latin American Trump Rival Tweets ‘Heil Hitler’