Overview
- President Gustavo Petro posted the words “Heil Hitler” on social media in reply to a post promoting an El Espectador column that endorsed Abelardo de la Espriella, with the message appearing on Sunday.
- The comment drew swift condemnation from the Anti‑Defamation League, Israel’s U.N. ambassador Danny Danon and the Israeli foreign ministry, and Petro has not publicly retracted or fully explained the remark.
- The exchange comes as voters prepare for a June 21 runoff after de la Espriella led the May 31 first round with roughly 43.7–43.8 percent to Iván Cepeda’s about 41 percent, tightening an already polarized campaign.
- The episode revives long‑running tensions over Petro’s comparisons of Israel to Nazi Germany and follows Colombia’s May 2024 break in diplomatic ties with Israel, raising the prospect of more bilateral strains.
- Beyond immediate diplomatic fallout, the incident may shape voter perceptions ahead of the runoff by emphasizing sharp differences over security policy, U.S. and Israeli ties and recent fraud claims that Colombian authorities have rejected.