Argentinian President Javier Milei has repeatedly insulted his Colombian counterpart
Colombia has expelled all Argentine diplomats from the nation’s embassy in Bogota after Argentinian President Javier Milei referred to as Colombian President Gustavo Petro a “terrorist assassin.”
“The Argentine president’s expressions have deteriorated the boldness of our nation, along with offending the dignity of President Petro, who was democratically elected,” the Colombian Overseas Ministry mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday.
“On this context, the Authorities of Colombia orders the expulsion of diplomats from the Argentine embassy in Colombia,” the assertion added.
In an interview with CNN’s Spanish-language service set to air this Sunday, Milei mentioned of Petro: “You may’t count on a lot from somebody who was a terrorist assassin.”
The Argentinian chief was referring to Petro’s previous as a left-wing guerilla fighter. He joined the nineteenth of April Motion (M19) as a teen within the late Seventies, earlier than the group launched into a marketing campaign of kidnapping, arms theft, land seizure, and the homicide of greater than a dozen politicians. Petro was arrested in 1985, tortured, and jailed for 18 months for unlawful arms possession.
Petro entered politics after M19 demobilized within the late Nineteen Eighties, and was elected president in 2022. A left-winger, his authorities has – in line with Justice Minister Nestor Osuna – adopted a coverage of tolerance towards small-scale cocaine manufacturing. He has additionally struck ceasefire offers with guerilla teams and promised welfare, labor, and environmental reforms. Nevertheless, these reforms have confirmed expensive and troublesome to implement, and Petro’s approval score has slid from 56% in 2022 to 26% on the finish of final 12 months.
Milei sits on the alternative finish of the political spectrum. A libertarian right-winger, Milei was elected final 12 months on a radical platform of financial reform. Milei has closed half of Argentina’s authorities departments, fired tens of 1000’s of bureaucrats, and promised to close down the nation’s central financial institution. Whereas a few of his insurance policies have borne fruit (his deregulation of the housing market instantly slashed rents in Buenos Aires by 20% and the nation achieved a monetary surplus for the primary time in additional than a decade in January), inflation has soared above 250% and poverty has reached a file excessive.
Earlier this 12 months, Colombia recalled its ambassador to Argentina after Milei referred to as Petro “a communist assassin who’s ruining Colombia.”
You may share this story on social media:
Supply hyperlink
