He demanded that his predecessor, on that occasion, travel to the department to witness the wave of violence perpetrated by armed groups that have influence in that territory. The criticism against President Petro does not stop after a violent wave by armed groups was recorded in the department of Cauca while he is on a diplomatic tour in Europe, such as the meeting with the president of the Swedish parliament, Andreas Norlén (Credit: EFE).
The President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, was the target of harsh criticism on Wednesday, June 12, due to the wave of violence in the west of the country, where illegal armed groups that have influence in the departments of Cauca and Valle perpetrated several attacks. The most serious was that of a motorcycle loaded with explosives in Jamundí, which left an informal vehicle caretaker as a victim, who is torn between life and death.
Although the president expressed a strong rejection of these events on his official account on the social network X, he has been the target of criticism for being on a diplomatic tour in Europe. That same day he held a meeting with the president of the Swedish parliament, Andreas Norlén.
“The EMC of Cauca and the Valley are once again doing what they know how to do: Kill humble people from the town. Their path is greed, for which they do not care about the destruction of communities. The EMC is a force hostile to the people. The Army must complete the offensive in the Micay canyon,” Petro trilled after learning of the attack in the Valle del Cauca town.
However, social networks, where the head of state is usually so active, do not forgive and reminded him of several of his expressions against his predecessor Iván Duque, when a series of massacres occurred in the department.
The beginning of Gustavo Petro’s international agenda in Sweden and Switzerland, focused on promoting peace both in Colombia and globally, caused controversy because it coincided with a violent act in Jamundí, Valle del Cauca
Among the reactions was a trill from political comedian Daniel Samper, who sarcastically asked to do an exercise of changing the surname of the current president to that of the former president, in one of his old publications in which he questioned him.
“Could someone replace the word Duque with Petro in this correct trill that the opposition Gustavo Petro wrote at the time? #NotiDanny”, indicated Samper in X.
It was an old publication from 2019, where Petro reacted to a news story in which the then president announced that he would send the Minister of Defense of the time, Guillermo Botero, to meet with the affected populations in the west of the country.
“Who should go to Cauca is Duque. Put the unified command post there, listen directly to the indigenous, Afro and peasant communities, establish a strong alliance with them based on their demands and isolate the mafias,” Petro stated in November 2019.
Criticism of Gustavo Petro for not being consistent with the questions he made to his predecessor Iván Duque for similar acts of violence in Cauca.
At this request, followers of the journalist revived a video in which Petro, already as a presidential candidate, criticized the former head of state for his criticism of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, after that conflict had just broken out in Eastern Europe.
“What is Duque doing involved in Ukraine and Russia when he must resolve the war in Arauca?” he stated during a presidential debate in Semana magazine.
The president is scheduled to meet this Thursday with the 26 ambassadors who are in the old continent to review the progress of the cooperation processes with the different countries where there is Colombian representation. Later, he will hold another meeting with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
“Sweden has stood out for being one of the countries that has most supported Colombia in its efforts to achieve peace and reconciliation in the national territory,” they said in a statement from the Presidency of the Republic.
Among the issues that have also been discussed on this trip to the European country is the review of the offer for the acquisition of Gripen combat aircraft, which would seek to replace the flotilla of Israeli Kfirs that are about to become obsolete this year. .
