Overview
- Colombia’s outgoing president posted the phrase “Heil Hitler” on X in response to an op‑ed endorsing conservative candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, prompting immediate condemnation from Israeli officials and Jewish groups.
- During a U.N. Security Council debate on Wednesday, Petro repeated comparisons of Israel to Nazi Germany and said, 'We are returning to the age of the Nazis,' which intensified diplomatic rebukes from Israel’s UN ambassador and foreign minister.
- Petro has both defended the original post as a critique of 'fascist phrases' used by the op‑ed author and acknowledged at the U.N. that the tweet reflected his 'own stupidity' and a failure to provide context.
- A cross‑regional statement signed by 24 Latin American lawmakers and statements from Israel’s Foreign Ministry framed the language as trivializing the Holocaust and warned it distorts historical memory.
- Coverage varies by outlet, with some reports emphasizing Petro’s repeated history of Nazi analogies and his 2024 break in ties with Israel while others focus on the immediate diplomatic fallout and the potential impact on the June 21 runoff.