Gustavo Petro: Colombia's First Leftist President and Former Marxist Guerrilla

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Gustavo Petro is the current President of Colombia and the country's first leftist leader. Born on April 19, 1960, in Ciénaga de Oro, Colombia, Petro's political journey is marked by his past involvement with the Marxist guerrilla group, the 19th of April Movement (M-19). This group was known for its urban guerrilla tactics and played a significant role in Colombia's history of internal conflict.
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Petro's path to the presidency was atypical. At the age of 17, he joined M-19, which later demobilized and transitioned into a political party. This early involvement in guerrilla activities significantly shaped his political ideology and commitment to social justice and equality.
In 2022, Petro was elected president under the promise to radically transform Colombia's structures of violence and inequality. His campaign pledged targeted tax reforms, fundamental expansions to environmental protections, a transition away from a fossil fuel-based economy, a new approach to the drug crisis, and a commitment to extending peace negotiations with non-state armed actors.
Petro's presidency has been marked by both significant achievements and substantial challenges. He has made bold moves such as ratifying the Escazú agreement to enhance protections for environmental rights activists and implementing a windfall tax on extractive industries' profits. However, his administration has faced opposition, particularly from within his own government, regarding policies on fossil fuels and other economic reforms.
Recently, Petro has been at the center of a diplomatic dispute with the United States. President Donald Trump's administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on Colombian goods and issued a travel ban in response to Colombia's refusal to accept deportation flights carrying Colombian migrants. Petro responded by offering his presidential plane to repatriate Colombians and by raising import tariffs on U.S. goods by 25 percent.
Petro's tenure is characterized by his efforts to address longstanding issues of violence, inequality, and environmental degradation in Colombia. His background as a former Marxist guerrilla informs his approach to governance, aiming to create a more equitable and just society.