Colombia's far-left President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday criticized Hispanic Americans who voted for President-elect Donald Trump, saying that once some immigrants receive legal residency in the United States, others will not be able to do so. He claimed to “kick the ladder” so he couldn't reach it. position.
In Tuesday's presidential election, Trump won a record amount of Hispanic support over the Republican Party. Initial exit poll showed Trump won 45% of the Hispanic vote nationally, but his support soared to more than 60% in states such as Michigan.
Petro, a former member of the Marxist terrorist group M19, has made a number of startling claims and immigration-related demands against the United States during his two years as Colombia's first leftist president.
Some of his wildest past statements on immigration include: demanding The United States has granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Colombians ahead of what is expected to be a climate catastrophe in 2022, with the US granting “billions of people” due to climate change in terminal 2023. predicted that there would be an outflow of immigrants. speech At the United Nations General Assembly.
On Wednesday night, Petro criticized Hispanic immigrants who support President-elect Trump in the context of the 2024 US presidential election.
Colombia's president shared a video from a Chilean newspaper reporter on his Twitter account meganoticias He interviewed Hispanic Trump supporters in New York on Election Day. In the video, the Hispanic Trump supporter claimed that the outgoing Biden-Harris administration's agenda is to “destroy the country.”
The man expressed disbelief in the outgoing government's good intentions and justified his response with the “openness” of accepting “any kind of people from any part of the world.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the man emphasized. The reporter then asked the man his nationality, and he answered that he was Peruvian.
The video Petro shared appears to mock a Peruvian man who supported Trump by ending with part of the credits theme from an American TV comedy. curb your enthusiasm — used as outro of meme Describe an awkward, uncomfortable, or unexpected moment.
“It's called the ladder theory, and if it's profitable, you pull back the ladder so people like you can't climb it,” Petro's message said.
Petro's criticism of Hispanic Trump supporters comes days after Colombia's far-left president's remarks claimed The United States is accused of “ethnic discrimination'' against illegal immigrants. He also accused the United States of creating an unprecedented migrant crisis through what it called a “blockade” of Venezuela, when in reality it was the result of the collapse of socialism in Venezuela and continued human rights abuses by the dictatorship. I didn't mention that it was. against one's own people.
Petro publicly “congratulated” President Trump on his election win on Twitter Wednesday, using the opportunity to criticize the president's plan to close the U.S. southern border.
“The American people have spoken and they are respected. Congratulations to Mr. Trump on his victory. North-South dialogue continues and given the reality of climate change, the conversation will center on solutions.” ” said Peter. said.
“The only way to close the border is to let the people of the south prosper and end the blockade. Progressive possibilities in the United States cannot glorify the genocide in Gaza,” he continued. .
During the 2020 US presidential campaign, President-elect Trump claimed that Biden had the support of Gustavo Petro and described him as a “loser.”
Mr. Petro, who was serving in the Colombian Senate at the time, appeared to be deeply offended by Mr. Trump's comments, and waited for the results of the 2020 election to respond by calling Mr. Trump a “loser.”
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
