BOGOTÁ. – The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petroassured this Monday that he did not question the election victory of José Antonio Kast in Chile, but maintained this His victory does not represent “life and humanity” another “quiet” return of neoliberalism and unleashed a strong regional controversy which led to one diplomatic claim of the Chilean government by Gabriel Boric. The statements were spread in a series of messages on the social network
“No one is questioning Mr. Kast’s election results in Chile, his victory is overwhelming. “But it is not a triumph for life and humanity,” Petro wrote. In the same thread, the Colombian president stated that “it cannot be confused that the Kast faction is not.” really fascist“ and remarked: “You can’t deal with fascism.” In another publication he claimed that there were such in the Southern Cone “installed” ideas related to Hitler and that it is not a return of neoliberalism, but a return of neoliberalism Step towards “suicidal barbarism”. He also called on Chileans to do the same “Take care of Neruda’s grave.”
As the result of the Chilean runoff election was known, Petro intensified his activities in Prelude to the local presidential elections scheduled for six months. In this context, the Colombian president even went so far as to write that “fascism is on the rise” and that he would never “shake hands with a Nazi and a son of a Nazi.”
The comments escalated when Petro alluded to the Chilean president-elect’s family past and drew parallels with Nazism and the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. “It’s sad that Pinochet had to use violence to get his way, but It’s sadder now that the people have chosen their Pinochet” he posted, adding: “Elected or not, they are Hitler’s children and Hitler is killing the people.”
The Chilean reaction was immediate. Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren “harshly” rejected the comments, calling them “a lack of respect and a lack of respect.” “undue interference in domestic political affairs.”. “On the instructions of the President of the Republic, we have sent a protest note to the Colombian Ambassador in Chile expressing our anger about this Unacceptable statements from the Colombian president regarding the presidential elections in our country,” said the head of Chilean diplomacy in a message sent to the press.
The incident caused particular unrest in La Moneda Palace, as Petro is considered one of the regional allies of Boric’s left-wing government. In his statement, Van Klaveren emphasized that the statements of the Colombian President “You denigrate not only the elected president, but also the sovereign decision of the Chilean people.”in an explicit defense of the results of the polls.
José Antonio Kast, a conservative right-wing leader, is the youngest of ten children in a German family that emigrated to Chile and built a thriving sausage business there. This was the result of journalistic research published in 2021 his father was a member of the NSDAPalthough his own Kast claimed that it was a case of forced recruitment into the German Wehrmacht during World War II. and denied any ideological affiliation with National Socialism.
In Colombia, parts of the opposition questioned Petro’s tone and demanded that he prioritize the internal agenda, while analysts warned that the Santiago crossing could complicate regional coordination in multilateral forums. In Chile, on the other hand, the ruling party tried to unite in institutional defense and even marked political distance from the elected president.
Kast will take over the presidency of Chile on March 11 for a period of four years. Meanwhile, the controversy sparked by Petro’s comments provided a new focus of diplomatic tensions in the region, testing the balance between ideologically related governments in a scenario marked by political polarization and sensitivity to external interference.
ANSA and AP agencies
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