Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Friday (12), in Popayán, that he may renounce his Italian citizenship if the European Union continues to fail to condemn what he called “genocide” committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
According to Petro, his Italian origins trace back to a "city near Milan." The South American leader declared: "If Europe continues to support the bombs falling on Gaza, I will publicly renounce my Italian and European citizenship."
The president also compared the actions of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to the great massacres in history, saying that it is the "third genocide of human society," alongside the Spanish conquest of the Americas and World War II.
Speaking of origins, Petro also has a past that needs no introduction: Colombia's first left-wing president, he is a former member of the guerrillas. M-19, an armed group responsible for kidnappings, murders, and the bloody attack on the Palace of Justice in 1985, which left more than 100 dead. Now president, he has been arrested for illegally carrying weapons and still carries the revolutionary rhetoric of his militant days.
Charges against criminals in Europe
During his speech, Petro also reported that his granddaughters, who live in Marseille, France, are receiving death threats from European criminals. He accused local authorities of failing to ensure the minors' safety.
According to the president, the threats were linked to his government's fight against drug trafficking in Colombia.
Petro also blamed an alleged "mafia based in Europe" for the murder of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay. The politician was shot on June 7 and died on August 11 in Bogotá.
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