The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, fired back at the recent insults from his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daniel Ortega, who called him "subservient" for his stance on the electoral fraud in Venezuela. In a recent virtual meeting of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), Ortega harshly criticized his counterparts from Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Colombia, Gustavo Petro, for not recognizing the results of the recent presidential elections in Venezuela.
Ortega, a staunch ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, questioned the behavior of Lula and Petro, accusing them of bowing to foreign interests and acting disgracefully. "The way you've behaved, Lula, in the face of the legitimate president of Venezuela's victory is disgraceful. Disgraceful! Repeating the slogans of the Yankees, the Europeans, the subservient governments of Latin America. You are also subservient, Lula!" Ortega exclaimed.
Regarding Petro, he commented, "What can I say about Petro? Poor Petro, poor Petro. I see him competing with Lula to see who will be the leader representing the Yankees in Latin America. But poor Petro doesn't have the strength that Brazil has."
In response, the Colombian president took to his account on the social network X to defend his position, arguing that his government seeks a negotiated and peaceful solution in Venezuela. Petro also took the opportunity to counterattack Ortega for the accusations of human rights violations in Nicaragua.
"Daniel Ortega has called us subservient, simply because we want a negotiated, peaceful, and democratic solution in Venezuela. Such an insult allows me to respond: At least I don't trample on the human rights of my country's people and certainly not on the rights of my comrades in arms and in the fight against dictatorships," Petro asserted.
This isn't the first time Petro and Ortega, both former leftist guerrilla fighters, have criticized each other. However, unlike his moderation when referring to Maduro, the Colombian president has not held back in criticizing the authoritarian drift of the Nicaraguan leader.
This exchange of statements follows a joint communiqué between Colombia and Brazil where they did not recognize Nicolás Maduro as the elected president in the elections held on July 28 in Venezuela and called for evidence of the election results. Despite his previous terms' strong alliance with Chavismo, Lula da Silva, like former Argentine President Cristina Fernández, has now called for the voting records to be shown.
Claims of electoral fraud in Venezuela persist. Last week, the United States and 10 Latin American countries rejected Maduro's proclamation as president-elect and demanded verifiable evidence to restore credibility in the process.
Key Questions About the Dispute Between Ortega, Petro, and Lula
This section addresses some of the most pressing questions regarding the recent conflict between Daniel Ortega, Gustavo Petro, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, focusing on their differing stances on Venezuela's electoral process.
Why did Daniel Ortega criticize Gustavo Petro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva?
Daniel Ortega criticized them for not recognizing the results of the recent presidential elections in Venezuela, accusing them of acting disgracefully and bowing to foreign interests.
How did Gustavo Petro respond to Ortega's insults?
Gustavo Petro responded by defending his government's position of seeking a peaceful and democratic solution in Venezuela, and he criticized Ortega for human rights violations in Nicaragua.
What is the stance of Colombia and Brazil regarding Nicolás Maduro's presidency?
Colombia and Brazil have not recognized Nicolás Maduro as the elected president and have called for evidence of the election results to restore credibility in the process.