Gustavo Bolívar challenged the narrative of President Gustavo Pedro: “What a strange dictator”
Amid a complicated political debate in Colombia, Gustavo Bolívar, the current director of the Department of Social Prosperity (DPS) and a well-known defender of President Gustavo Petro, used his social media to sarcastically refute the “dictator” accusation leveled at the president. In his message, the senior official cited several examples of government actions that he said contradicted the idea of an authoritarian regime, suggesting that the head of state, if authoritarian, would be somewhat unusual.
In his publication, Bolívar questioned the characteristics usually associated with a dictatorship, emphasizing that Petro showed respect for the decisions of the independent institutions and organizations of the state, even though these decisions were many times contrary to the interests of his government. .
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Among the points mentioned by Bolívar, Peter’s acceptance of the failure of his health reform and tax reform stands out, as well as his response to the disapproval of the 2025 General Budget of the Nation (PGN) in Congress.
“They shot down health care reform in Congress and he reintroduced it. At the Constitutional Court, they knocked off half of the tax reform and he complied with it. The budget for 2025 was not approved in Congress and he accepted it (sic),” Bolívar wrote.
The former senator also emphasized that despite the constant opposition and criticism of many media outlets, Peter’s government did not take repressive actions or censor the press: “Every morning, hundreds of journalists put on opposition T-shirts and “No media outlets were closed. .”
Bolívar also pointed to the president’s agrarian policy, stressing that the acquisition of land for redistribution among peasants was done at commercial prices without resorting to expropriation, a common method in authoritarian governments that seek to strengthen their power through forced reconfiguration of land ownership . : “The dictator who does not expropriate!”
Another point mentioned was Petr’s attitude towards the decisions of other state institutions, such as the Bank of the Republic and the State Council. Bolívar emphasized that although the banking entity has decided to maintain high interest rates, a measure affecting the country’s economic growth, the head of state respects this autonomy.
“He himself asked the prosecutor’s office to investigate his son,” Bolívar emphasized, recalling the work of the Attorney General’s Office in the case of Nicolás Petro, the eldest son of President Gustavo Petro, who is being investigated for crimes of illicit enrichment and money laundering, as he is accused of received illegal funds for the 2022 presidential campaign.
One of the most notable aspects was when the Director of Social Prosperity mentioned that the President does not send public forces to the opposition, or when groups want to demonstrate, as happened during the national strike of truckers, which is in contrast to what happened in the previous government. , where injuries occurred among protesters and uniformed personnel: “ESMAD does not send the opposition to marches. No one was hurt (sic) in more than 20 marches.
The report ended with an ironic statement addressed to his opponents: “Yet the Uribistas are still shouting ‘Dictator’ at him.” RT What a strange dictator!” With this comment, Bolívar took direct aim at the right-wing opposition, suggesting that the use of the term “dictator” has no real basis in fact, but is rather a rhetorical tool to delegitimize President Peter.
The publication caused various reactions on social networks and in public opinion. While some applaud the former senator’s defense and agree that the events described show Peter’s willingness to act within a democratic framework, others see the list as an attempt to justify a government that they say shows signs of authoritarianism in other areas.