Gustavo Petro hints at a return by stating that his farewell as president of Colombia is “transitory”

Bogotá .- The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated this Monday, in his final speech to the people as head of state, that his farewell will be “transitory” when he leaves power on August 7 to his successor, Abelardo de la Espriella, elected last June 21.

“I wanted to come here to say goodbye for now in what will be the last speech given to the population in this Colombia and in my government (…) and knowing where we are and why we wanted to hold this temporary farewell demonstration here, we can now talk about the problems of Colombia,” he said before a crowd gathered in the populous Ciudad Bolívar sector, in the south of Bogotá.

The delivery of Carlos Pizarro’s hat

On the other hand, the outgoing president handed over to the leftist senator María José Pizarro the hat that belonged to her father, Carlos Pizarro, leader of the defunct M-19 guerrilla group, as “a symbol of peace,” during his speech.

“This hat of Carlos Pizarro has a special significance that recent generations must know throughout Colombia, because this hat has been slandered by some traditional press of lies,” said Petro.

The president, who in his youth was part of the M-19, stated that the hat “was never used, never ever, in an action that involved violence,” but rather that it was acquired by Carlos Pizarro “exclusively to sign the definitive peace between the 19th of April Movement and the Colombian State” on March 9, 1990.

“Therefore it is a symbol of peace,” added Petro, who linked the legacy of the M-19 peace agreement with the 1991 Constitution.

In his speech, the president also recalled the assassination of Pizarro, perpetrated on a plane in mid-flight on April 26, 1990, just 47 days after the M-19 laid down its arms and while he was a presidential candidate for the M-19 Democratic Alliance.

According to Petro, the hat was rescued by his bodyguards after the crime.

Petro explained that he decided to hand over the accessory to Senator Pizarro because, as he said, “she is in danger today, in the days to come, after August 7th,” alluding to the change of government that the president-elect, the far-right Abelardo de la Espriella, will have to assume that day.

The hat was exhibited for the last few years at the Casa de Nariño, the seat of the Executive branch, after remaining for more than three decades in Sweden in the possession of a former bodyguard of Pizarro and several former members of the M-19, who handed it over to Petro, and in March 2024 it was declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation.

His last parade as president of Colombia

Colombia celebrated its Independence Day this July 20th with a military parade presided over for the last time by the outgoing president, Gustavo Petro, who will end his term on August 7th.

In the parade, held for the first time in Ciudad Bolívar, a populous sector in the south of Bogotá, the president, dressed in a dark suit and maroon tie, was accompanied on the honorary stage by Vice President Francia Márquez and the acting Minister of Defense, Angélica Verbel.

After a minute of silence in memory of the fallen soldiers and police officers, and following the decoration of Armed Forces commanders, the parade began with the traditional march of the Korean War (1950-1953) veterans, who are fewer in number each year due to their age.

The Independence military parade

The military parade for the 216th anniversary of Colombia’s Independence, dated July 20, 1810, brought together 124 blocks composed of 6,257 men and women from the Army, the Navy, the Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC), the National Police, and other units.

The traditional air parade was led by 19 aircraft, including the FAC’s Kfir fighters, which flew over the south of Bogotá in formation, as well as Police and Army helicopters.

Veterans of the Military Forces and the Police also paraded as a tribute to those who dedicated their lives to the service of the country.

Thousands of people stationed themselves from the early hours of the morning along the route to witness the parade, characterized by the dress uniforms of the different forces, the marching bands, and the synchronized step of the troops.

Upon concluding the military parade, Petro will deliver his final speech as head of state to the people in the same location; later, he will have another intervention in the afternoon at the National Capitol, when he will inaugurate the session period of the Congress elected last March 8th, in the legislative elections.