The president of Colombia, the communist Gustavo Petro, published an unusual message on his X account in which he stated that he could take up arms again, in a text full of threats and references to terrorism, and amid diplomatic tensions with United States after the capture of the narco-terrorist dictator Nicolás Maduro.
In his statement, Petro explicitly recalled his past in the April 19 Movement (M-19), a terrorist organization that operated in Colombia during the 1970s and 1980s and that was responsible for armed actions, attacks, and acts of violence that marked the country's history. In that context, the president stated: “I swore not to touch a weapon again since the 1989 peace pact, but for the homeland I will take up again the weapons that I do not want”.
The phrase, expressed in the first person and in the future tense, was one of the most forceful parts of the message, as it suggested a possible return to left-wing terrorism by the person who currently holds the presidency and the supreme command of Colombia's Armed Forces.
In the same text, Petro vindicated the terrorist origin of his political movement and the role of M-19 in drafting the 1991 Constitution, by pointing out that it was an organization that “was previously [raised] in insurgent arms” and that later took part in the National Constituent Assembly after laying down its arms. However, he again resorted to language typical of armed confrontation and insurrection.
