Colombia’s incoming government visits Washington DC

President Gustavo Petro urged the Colombian people to "prepare peaceful resistance" against what he described as the "viceroyalty" that has taken control of the country. Speaking during Independence Day celebrations in the impoverished outskirts of Bogota, Petro claimed the incoming president will be a "servant to the rulers of the United States" who aided his election. "We move from the status of a republic back to the status of a viceroyalty, just as we did 216 years ago," he stated.

Petro accepted the role of leading the leftist opposition, calling for a "second cry of independence." Instead of repeating the 1810 revolution, he proposed "preparing for peaceful resistance" to defend communities that have benefited from the government's reforms. Petro argued that repealing the decree on hourly work that ended a labor reform creating stability, a living wage, and better working conditions would require a "permanent general strike of millions of working men and women in Colombia."

While Petro insisted resistance was more than just shouting and raising flags, he emphasized that it involves a "production strike," which is permissible under the National Constitution of Colombia and represents a universal right to civil disobedience. If the government seeks to abolish the stability and working conditions achieved under his administration, Petro threatened to "surround the centers of illegitimate power in Colombia until legitimacy exists once again."

He suggested forming unarmed "liberatory guards" operating in a network to protect the people wherever they are needed.

Petro insisted that the only way to stop fascism in Colombia is through "peace." He called for "millions and millions of Colombian men and women" to join the resistance, promising joy in the struggle for freedom and democratic governance.