Colombia's Gustavo Petro compares Trump’s immigration policies to fascism

This handout picture released by the Colombian Presidency Press Office shows Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaking during a Council of Ministers in Ocaña, Norte de Santander Department, Colombia on Jan. 27, 2025. (AFP Photo)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro compared U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration policies to fascist practices, addressing both the policies and the diplomatic tensions between the two countries in an interview.

Developments

Petro emphasized Trump views every immigrant as guilty, stating, "We should not criminalize entire population groups. I cannot say that every white American is an exploiter, because that would be a big mistake."
He compared the situation to 1933 Germany, noting, "They criminalized a religious group, and it resulted in the extermination of six million people."
Petro argued that the harsh treatment of immigrants in the U.S. is fascism, originating from old racism. "In U.S. cities today, there are raids in the streets. They don’t ask if you have papers; they look at your face, and anyone who can’t pass the race test is beaten," he said.

(COMBO) This combination of file pictures created on Feb. 1, 2025, shows US President Donald Trump (L) at a Hurricane Helene recovery briefing in a hangar at the Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, North Carolina, on Jan.24, 2025. (AFP Photo)

On Trump’s views of him

When asked if he believes Trump is a fascist, Petro replied, "This attitude of criminalizing population groups to gain support from the majority is exactly the same as Hitler’s attitude in 1933 towards Jews and socialists."

Many Colombians living in the U.S. have created an image of me as a communist (referring to himself) and a monster, but Trump has never spoken with me; he doesn’t know what I think or what I know.

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February 02, 2025 12:55 PM GMT+03:00