The former president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, embarks on a visit to Mexico after receiving authorization from Congress to leave the country, despite restrictions imposed on former presidents. During his flight to Mexico, he experienced a tense episode with a passenger who recognized him and made a comment referring to the current president Abelardo de la Espriella.
The incident took place on an Aeroméxico flight, where Petro was seated in first class. A passenger, whose identity has not been revealed, shouted at him: “We stand firm for the homeland, firm!” as they passed by his seat. Petro chose to ignore the comment and focused on his cell phone. This moment was later shared on social media, generating various reactions among users.
Upon arriving in Mexico, Petro met with former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa for a talk on his television program Conversando con Correa. During this conversation, Petro addressed an issue he faced related to his flight. Originally, he had planned to fly with Avianca, but the airline refused to transport him due to his inclusion on the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list, also known as the Clinton List. “Yes, yes,” confirmed the former head of state, referring to the incident.
Petro’s inclusion on this list is due to Executive Order 14059, which does not directly prohibit his transport but has caused companies to apply additional restrictions in a phenomenon known as “overcompliance.” This term refers to the tendency of companies to go beyond what official sanctions dictate, it was reported.
Gustavo Petro will remain in Mexico until September 2, 2026, fulfilling an academic and editorial agenda, in addition to holding meetings with Mexican political figures, including President Claudia Sheinbaum. During their meeting, Sheinbaum proposed collaborating on “academic intellectual coordinations,” a proposal that Petro rejected, claiming he intends to stay in Colombia.
Additionally, he is expected to give a lecture on the climate crisis at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, related to his upcoming book. In this talk, he mentioned an alleged digital operation that supposedly affected the presidential elections in Colombia, suggesting that a similar system could extend to Brazil and the midterm elections in Mexico in 2027, although he did not provide specific evidence for his accusations. “Mexico is in danger and Brazil is coming,” warned Petro.
Source: www.infobae.com
