Colombia’s outgoing president, Gustavo Petro, has sparked confusion and backlash after posting the phrase “Heil, Hitler” on social media.


The two-word message, published on X on Sunday, June 7, and viewed more than 20 million times, included a link to an opinion article in the Colombian newspaper El Espectador. In the piece cited by Newsweek, columnist and politician Felipe Zuleta Lleras wrote that “Colombia does not need more rhetoric; it needs order, authority, and economic freedom.”


Petro’s brief post appeared to reference that quote and the broader argument in Zuleta Lleras’ article, which called for new leadership outside the president’s political movement. In recent weeks, Petro has repeatedly warned that elements of the country’s opposition are embracing what he describes as “fascist” ideas.


The president, who maintains an active presence online, also commented on the results of the first round of Colombia’s presidential election. He said that “a good part of the country does not prioritise social reforms” aimed at addressing inequality, which he linked to “problems like drug trafficking and violence and the lack of democracy.”


By contrast, Petro argued that many Colombians “want to dismantle the social state of law and the 1991 constitution,” which expanded decentralisation and protections for minorities, “to take us back to that of 1886 and even worse, to truly fascist systems.” He added that there is “strong popular support for fascism” in the country.


Colombia is currently choosing a new president. In the first round of voting on May 31, left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, who is backed by Petro, advanced to a run-off alongside right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who has received support from Donald Trump.


Neither candidate secured more than 50 per cent of the vote in the first round. Preliminary results showed Cepeda with nearly 41 per cent, while De la Espriella received 43.7 per cent. According to an AtlasIntel poll conducted between June 1 and June 2, De la Espriella leads with 50.3 per cent support, compared with 42.6 per cent for Cepeda.


By Tamilla Hasanova