Colombia's Outgoing President Petro Faces Backlash Over 'Heil Hitler' Tweet
Colombian President Gustavo Petro posted 'Heil Hitler' on June 7, 2026, in response to an op-ed endorsing conservative presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, drawing widespread condemnation from Israeli officials and Latin American lawmakers. The tweet, which garnered over 24 million views, was followed by further controversy when Petro invoked Nazi comparisons again while presiding over a UN Security Council debate on the Middle East. Petro is in the final weeks of his presidency ahead of Colombia's June 21 runoff election, and the episode has intensified scrutiny of his repeated use of Nazi rhetoric against political opponents.
On June 7, 2026, Colombian President Gustavo Petro posted 'Heil Hitler' on social media in apparent response to an El Espectador op-ed endorsing right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who is the frontrunner in Colombia's upcoming June 21 runoff election. The tweet accumulated over 24 million views and prompted swift condemnation from Israel's Foreign Ministry, which called it a 'total loss of moral compass,' and from UN Ambassador Danny Danon, who demanded Petro apologize before presiding over a Security Council debate. Petro initially defended the post as a critique of what he called 'fascist phrases' in the op-ed, but later acknowledged at the UN that he had failed to provide context due to his own 'lack of communication skills.' At the Security Council debate on Middle East peace, Petro again invoked Nazi comparisons, stating the world is 'returning to the Nazis' in reference to the conflict in Gaza, drawing further rebukes from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Ambassador Danon. Twenty-four Latin American lawmakers from 14 countries, organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, signed a joint statement condemning Petro's repeated use of Nazi references as a rhetorical tool, warning it risks trivializing Holocaust memory. The controversy is the latest in a pattern of Holocaust-related rhetoric from Petro, who has previously compared Israel to Nazi Germany and severed diplomatic ties with Israel in 2024.
What's missing
The sources do not include any direct response or statement from Abelardo de la Espriella or his campaign regarding Petro's tweet, nor do they provide polling data quantifying the electoral impact of the controversy on the June 21 runoff.
How coverage differed
The Times of Israel and New York Post covered the story with broadly similar framing, focusing on international condemnation and Petro's pattern of antisemitic rhetoric. Breitbart's coverage was notably more expansive and editorialized, labeling Petro a 'Marxist' and 'communist,' including details about alleged drug and alcohol accusations and his meetings with left-wing figures, framing the story as part of a broader ideological conflict rather than primarily a Holocaust-memory issue.
What different sources said
- Times of IsraelCenter
Colombia’s outgoing president under fire over ‘Heil Hitler’ tweet
- BreitbartFar Right
Colombia's Gustavo Petro at the U.N.: 'We're Returning to the Nazis'
- New York PostRight
Two dozen Latino lawmakers come together to slam Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s ‘Heil Hitler’ tweet
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