This Sunday, June 19, Gustavo Petro was elected as the new president of Colombia. In a fierce fight against populist conservative Rodolfo Hernández, Petro won by only 3.13% of the vote.
This is the first time Colombia will be ruled by a leftist president. Petro is a former communist terrorist who belonged to the M19 guerilla group.
Now, he is the president of Colombia and one of a growing number of communists now in power from Venezuela to Bolivia and Argentina.
Former Guerilla Turned Politician
After a long political career, Petro, 62, arrives at the Colombian presidency, the Casa de Nariño, with high hopes for imposing his far-left vision on the country.
Before entering democratic life, Petro was a guerrilla of the M-19 group, imprisoned and exiled from the public.
He was elected senator twice and previously served as mayor of Colombia’s capital, Bogotá. Petro proposes a change from the country’s current economic model.
He wants Colombia to stop being resource-focused as it has been under current conservative leader Ivan Duque Marquez and become stronger in agricultural, scientific, and industrial production.
One of his other promises is land reform, in which he will tax unproductive land and raise taxes on the Colombian wealthy.
Gustavo Petro, a former terrorist guerilla turned Marxist politician has just become the president of Colombia.
A *massive* blow to freedom and democracy across Latin America.
— Ben Kew 🐶 (@ben_kew) June 19, 2022
Celebrating Communism
Celebrations of the presidential election took place at the Movistar Arena in Bogotá. Shortly after the results were released on his Twitter page, Petro said this is a day of celebration for Colombians.
In addition to the first leftist president, Vice President Francia Márquez is a black former maid from the working class.
In his speech, on the arena stage, Marquez was widely applauded for remembering many social leaders, women, and young people murdered in recent years.
She ended by saying this will be the government of those who are not remembered, social justice, and dignity.
Petro then declared that unfortunately, many could not be there; they were murdered or they were imprisoned unfairly for the sake of their homeland.
He called on Colombia’s attorney general to release many young people who participated in protests in the country.
This is how communism always starts, with appeals to “justice” and political expression. Then, it begins taking over the institutions and the nice mask comes off.
🤮
DNC member Thomas Kennedy joins narcoterrorist dictators Nicolas Maduro and Miguel Diaz-Canel in congratulating Colombia’s first leftist president and new socialist ally, former M-19 guerilla Gustavo Petro. pic.twitter.com/u5OoSEQSzN— Janis Saxon (@JanisSaxon2) June 20, 2022
Challenges Petro Faces
There are many challenges Petro will have to face to get the house in order. GDP growth of 6.1% for 2022, inflation at 9%, and huge unemployment at 11.1% are just a few.
Petro also said he wants to team up and talk to others in South America. He has many options, considering narco-communist extremists rule almost every country in Latin America now, apart from Brazil.
Petro takes power on August 7.
Colombia elects a narco-communist. 45% of the population didn't go to vote. Now Brasil is surrounded by the Red Dragon.
May God protect President Bolsonaro and our people!
Pray for us. pic.twitter.com/DdM2T8wD6q— Renata Polga (@renata_polga) June 20, 2022
It remains to be seen how long Colombia goes before regretting this particular election.
