Colombian President Gustavo Petro once again harshly criticized Chilean President-elect José Antonio Kast, accusing him of being a son and believer of Nazis, in response to a journalist who questioned his silence on Nicolás Maduro. These statements have strained bilateral relations, prompting the Chilean government to send a formal protest note. The incident highlights the ideological differences between the two leaders.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro escalated his verbal conflict with Chilean President-elect José Antonio Kast by responding on social media platform X to a post by journalist Patricia Janiot. She had questioned why Petro labels Kast a Nazi and fascist but avoids condemning Nicolás Maduro as strongly as a narcodictator and usurper. Petro replied defending Maduro as a dictator due to power concentration, but without evidence of narco ties in Colombia, and redirected his attacks toward Kast: “Kast is son and believer of the Nazis. He belongs to the German generation that escaped Germany not to save themselves from Hitler but to save themselves from Hitler's defeat”.
These words add to Petro's previous statements after Kast's victory in the presidential runoff, where he warned of “winds of death” from the south and compared the election to the legacy of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. The Chilean government, under President Gabriel Boric, responded with a formal diplomatic protest note sent to the Colombian ambassador in Santiago. Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde emphasized that the Chilean people decided sovereignly and that such interventions disrespect democracy. Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren added that Petro's statements constitute an improper interference in internal affairs and affect the sovereign decision of the Chilean electorate.
The controversy highlights regional ideological tensions, with Petro positioning himself against what he perceives as a fascist advance, while Chile defends its democratic process. No contradictions in facts are reported, confirmed by multiple sources.
