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Columbian President Accused of Drunk Texting

Staff Writer

Colombian President Gustavo Petro sparked a diplomatic storm with the U.S. after a late-night tweet accusing Donald Trump of racism, only to face questions about his sobriety and whereabouts as the crisis unfolded.


Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Monday denied accusations that he was intoxicated when he posted a controversial late-night message on social media, which briefly ignited a diplomatic crisis with the United States.

In a lengthy tirade, Petro lashed out at former U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of racism over his immigration policies, while also suggesting they share a glass of whisky to discuss the dangers of fossil fuels. Trump, however, is known for abstaining from alcohol.

“How far has our press degraded to believe that dignity is linked to drunkenness?” Petro wrote on Twitter. “The ‘cipayos’—those at the service of foreign interests—are a symbol of mental decay. Allowing our thoughts to be colonized is worse than any foreign occupation.”

Petro’s message was a direct response to Colombian journalist Luis Carlos Vélez, who had raised concerns about Petro’s behavior in a public statement the day before. Vélez, who lives in Miami, had asked Colombia’s outgoing and incoming foreign ministers to clarify Petro’s state of mind when he initiated the diplomatic row with the U.S.

The controversy stemmed from a tweet posted by Petro around 3:41 a.m. local time on Sunday, which led to questions about his sobriety after the diplomatic incident that followed. Petro’s remarks also reignited local political debate over his controversial use of Twitter and his confrontational stance toward international relations.

The incident began when Petro refused to allow a U.S. deportation flight of Colombians to land in Colombia, arguing that the U.S. treats Colombian migrants unfairly. This decision, made in a now-deleted tweet, sparked immediate backlash from the U.S. government. Minutes before, Petro had posted a message welcoming deportees with “flags and flowers,” but deleted it soon after. In response, former President Trump quickly imposed retaliatory measures, including a 25% tariff on Colombian goods and visa sanctions on government officials.

Petro, in a series of Twitter posts, lashed out at the U.S., but eventually relented, agreeing to comply with Trump’s demands. A Colombian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Luis Murillo, was scheduled to visit Washington, D.C. to smooth over the crisis.

At an official event on Monday, Petro addressed media criticism over his administration, including the diplomatic fallout caused by the tweet. He defended his frequent use of Twitter, claiming traditional media misrepresents him.

“They say, why do I tweet so much? Because television only lies about me. I need to express myself directly,” Petro said. “That tweet about deportees was seen by 33 million people. I’m doing better than being misquoted by people who don’t even understand what I’m saying.”

In the wake of the incident, questions arose over Petro’s whereabouts when the diplomatic crisis erupted. On Monday, Colombian Senate President Efraín Cepeda publicly wondered whether Petro had been in Bogotá analyzing the situation with advisors, as the government had claimed, or if he was elsewhere.

“Whatever the case, we know that he wasn’t in Bogotá while the country was burning down, nor was he in the capital during the emergency meeting,” Cepeda said. Petro, meanwhile, has not clarified his location.

Daniel García-Peña, Colombia’s ambassador to Washington, confirmed that Petro was not in the presidential palace, the Casa de Nariño, during the crisis. The presidential palace itself declined to comment on Petro’s whereabouts but claimed he was “supervising” negotiations. García-Peña also admitted that the initial tweets were sent without prior consultation.

“The tweets that Petro first posted went out without consultation, but we were very clear in stressing the potential consequences of his actions. That’s why, later on, the number of tweets decreased,” García-Peña told local media.

Petro’s relationship with alcohol has been a topic of speculation for years. During his 2022 presidential campaign, he apologized for an allegedly incoherent speech he gave after not properly “digesting” alcohol. Later, Conservative Senator María Fernanda Cabal accused Petro of being intoxicated during his victory speech after he was elected president.

“I didn’t like it at all. It was obvious that he was drunk. He needs to maintain his composure,” Cabal told reporters after Petro’s speech.

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