Gustavo Petro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
His Excellency
Gustavo Petro
ODB ODSC OYC
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Official portrait, 2022
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| 75th President of Colombia | |
| Assumed office 7 August 2022 |
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| Vice President | Francia Márquez |
| Preceded by | Iván Duque |
| Senator of Colombia | |
| In office 20 July 2018 – 20 July 2022 |
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| In office 20 July 2006 – 20 July 2010 |
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| Mayor of Bogotá | |
| In office 23 April 2014 – 31 December 2015 |
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| Preceded by | María Mercedes Maldonado (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Enrique Peñalosa |
| In office 1 January 2012 – 19 March 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Clara López (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Pardo (acting) |
| Member of the Chamber of Representatives |
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| In office 20 July 1998 – 20 July 2006 |
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| Constituency | Capital District |
| In office 1 December 1991 – 20 July 1994 |
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| Constituency | Cundinamarca |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego
19 April 1960 Ciénaga de Oro, Córdoba, Colombia |
| Political party | Humane Colombia (2011–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
M-19 Democratic Alliance (1990–1997) Alternative Way (1998–2002) Regional Integration Movement (2002–2005) Alternative Democratic Pole (2005–2010) Historic Pact for Colombia (2011–present) |
| Spouses |
Katia Burgos
(m. 1986; div. 1992)Mary Luz Herrán
(m. 1992; div. 2000)Verónica Alcocer
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 6, including Nicolás and Sofía |
| Alma mater | Externado University of Colombia Graduate School of Public Administration Pontifical Xavierian University (Not finished) University of Salamanca Université catholique de Louvain |
| Signature |  |
Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego (born 19 April 1960) is a Colombian politician. He became the 75th and current president of Colombia in 2022. He is the first president from a left-wing political background in Colombia's recent history.
When he was 17, Petro joined a group called the 19th of April Movement (M-19). This group later became a political party. Petro also served as a local council member in Zipaquirá. He was arrested in 1985 and imprisoned for his connection to the M-19. After a peace agreement between the Colombian government and the M-19, he was released. He was then elected to the Chamber of Representatives in 1991.
Later, he was elected to the Colombian Senate. In 2009, he left his Senate seat to run for president in 2010, finishing fourth. In 2011, he was elected mayor of Bogotá, a position he held until 2015. He ran for president again in 2018, coming in second place. In 2022, he won the presidential election, defeating Rodolfo Hernández Suárez.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gustavo Petro was born in Ciénaga de Oro, Colombia, in 1960. His great-grandfather, Francesco Petro, moved from Italy in 1870, which is why Gustavo Petro also has Italian citizenship. He was raised in the Catholic faith.
In the 1970s, Petro's family moved to Zipaquirá, a town north of Bogotá, looking for better opportunities. He studied at the Colegio de Hermanos de La Salle, where he started a student newspaper called Carta al Pueblo (Letter to the People).
Joining the M-19 Movement
Around age 17, Petro joined the 19th of April Movement (M-19). This was a Colombian group that formed in 1974. They believed that armed struggle could change Colombia's political and economic system. Petro used the secret name Aureliano, from a famous novel.
During his time with M-19, Petro became a leader. He was elected as an ombudsman (a public official who investigates complaints) for Zipaquirá in 1981. He also served as a council member from 1984 to 1986.
In 1985, the army arrested Petro, and he was imprisoned for 18 months. While in prison, Petro changed his mind about armed resistance. He no longer believed it was the best way to gain public support. In 1987, the M-19 began peace talks with the government.
Higher Education
Petro earned a degree in economics from the Universidad Externado de Colombia. He then started graduate studies in public administration. Later, he earned a master's degree in economics from Universidad Javeriana. He also studied in Belgium and Spain, focusing on economics, human rights, and public administration.
Political Journey
After the M-19 group stopped its armed activities, its former members, including Petro, formed a political party called the M-19 Democratic Alliance. In 1991, this party won many seats in the Chamber of Representatives. Petro represented the department of Cundinamarca.
In 2002, Petro was elected to the Chamber of Representatives again, this time representing Bogotá. He was part of a political movement he co-founded called Vía Alterna. During this time, he was recognized as a top congressman.
Petro later helped form the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA), a large group of left-wing politicians.
Serving in the Senate
In 2006, Petro was elected to the Senate, receiving the second-highest number of votes in the country. As a senator, he brought attention to the "Parapolitics scandal." He accused government officials and their supporters of working with illegal armed groups. He strongly disagreed with the government of Álvaro Uribe.
Presidential Campaign in 2010
In 2008, Petro announced he wanted to run for president in 2010. He proposed a "great national agreement to end Colombia's war." This plan focused on removing organized crime from power, improving the justice system, and land reform. On 27 September 2009, he won the primary election to become the Alternative Democratic Pole's candidate.
In the presidential election on 30 May 2010, Petro did better than expected. He received over 1.3 million votes, which was 9.1% of the total, placing him fourth.
Mayor of Bogotá (2012–2015)
On 30 October 2011, Gustavo Petro won the election to become mayor of Bogotá. He took office on 1 January 2012. He was the first former member of a guerrilla group to hold such an important position in Colombia.
His plan for Bogotá, called Bogotá Humana, aimed to reduce poverty and inequality. He wanted to help the poorest citizens, protect the environment, and fight corruption.
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During his time as mayor, Petro introduced several important changes:
- He banned carrying firearms in the city.
- His social policies helped reduce poverty. Almost half a million people were lifted out of poverty, and infant mortality decreased. This was due to programs like providing minimum drinking water, health programs in poor areas, and strengthening public education.
- He worked to protect Bogotá's wetlands and planned to plant over 200,000 trees.
- He banned bullfighting in the Santamaría Bullring, though this decision was later overturned by a court.
- He reopened parts of the San Juan de Dios Hospital, which had been closed for years.
- He started the Integrated Public Transport System (SITP) and created subsidies to make public transport more affordable for low-income residents.
- Petro proposed building an underground subway system for the city. His administration completed studies for this project. However, the next mayor decided to build an elevated railway instead.
Challenges as Mayor
During his time as mayor, Petro faced efforts to remove him from office. On 9 December 2013, the Inspector General of Colombia tried to remove him and ban him from politics for 15 years. This was due to issues with his waste collection system. Many people protested, calling the move unfair and politically motivated.
Even though an international human rights group asked for the ban to be stopped, President Juan Manuel Santos upheld the removal. Petro was removed from office on 19 March 2014. However, a court later ordered his reinstatement, and he returned as mayor on 23 April 2014, finishing his term.
Presidential Campaign in 2018
In 2018, Gustavo Petro ran for president again. He came in second in the first round of voting on 27 May, which meant he advanced to the second round. His campaign focused on universal health care, public banking, investing in clean energy instead of fossil fuels, and land reform. Before the final vote, he received support from other important politicians like Antanas Mockus and Claudia López Hernández.
In the second round, Petro lost to Iván Duque. Duque became president, and Petro returned to the Senate until 2022.
Presidential Campaign in 2022
In 2021, Petro announced he would run in the 2022 elections. He said he would leave politics if he didn't win this time. His campaign promised to promote green energy, reduce economic inequality, and fight climate change by ending new fossil fuel exploration. He also pledged to raise taxes on the wealthiest Colombians and create a Ministry of Equality.
For his running mate, Petro chose Francia Márquez, an Afro-Colombian human rights and environmental activist.
His main proposals included:
- Land reform to help poor farmers.
- Stopping new oil exploration to reduce Colombia's reliance on fossil fuels.
- Improving public education and research.
- Reforming the tax system and the mostly private health system.
Petro won the most votes in the first round on 29 May but needed more than 50% to win outright. He faced Rodolfo Hernández Suárez in the second round on 19 June. Petro and Márquez won the election with 50.44% of the votes.
Presidency (2022–present)
Gustavo Petro was sworn in as president on 7 August 2022. He spent the time between his election and inauguration building support in Congress, where his party was a minority. He successfully formed a coalition with several political parties, including the Liberal Party and the Party of the U. This helped him gain a majority in Congress.
A few days before he took office, the Senate approved the Escazú Agreement. This is an important environmental protection treaty for Latin America, which Petro had promised to ratify.
Petro also appointed a new military command. On 11 August, Colombia and Venezuela re-established diplomatic relations after a three-year break. Petro announced plans to restart peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) group, which had been stopped after a car bombing in 2019.
Cabinet Members
Petro's government cabinet took office on 7 August 2022. Many people consider him Colombia's first left-wing president. José Antonio Ocampo, a professor and former United Nations official, was appointed as Minister of Finance.
Public Opinion
Petro started his presidency in August 2022 with an approval rating of 48%. By early 2023, more Colombians disapproved of his performance than approved. In March 2023, 53% disapproved. By June 2023, his approval rating was 33%, with 61% disapproving.
Several factors contributed to this drop in support. These include challenges with his proposed reforms, disagreements with the Attorney General's office, and a scandal involving his son and campaign financing.
Agrarian Reform
Early in his presidency, Gustavo Petro announced plans for agrarian reform. This aims to help poor farming families gain access to land. In Colombia, a small percentage of farms own most of the cultivable land.
The government plans to buy three million hectares of farmland at market price. An agreement was reached with the Federation of Ranchers (Fedegan) in October 2022. The government also promised to build infrastructure to help farmers sell their crops.
Policies and Views
Environmental Protection
According to government reports, deforestation rates in the Colombian Amazon significantly decreased by 70% in the first nine months of 2023. This is from 59,345 hectares deforested down to 17,909 hectares, compared to the same period the previous year. This can be linked to the government's conservation policies, such as paying local residents to protect the forest.
The World Resources Institute also noted that the loss of old-growth forests in Colombia was nearly cut in half in 2023, partly due to Gustavo Petro's policies.
International Relations
Before becoming president, Petro had a complex view of Venezuela under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. He met Chávez in 1994 and later called him a "great Latin American leader." However, he also criticized the lack of freedoms in Venezuela under Maduro.
Petro opposed the idea of foreign military intervention in Venezuela, stating that "only Venezuelans should solve Venezuela's problems." In 2020, he suggested that if Colombia and Venezuela re-established diplomatic relations and Colombia sold food to Venezuela, Venezuelan immigration might decrease.
After winning the 2022 election, Maduro congratulated Petro. In an interview in August 2022, Petro stated he would only recognize Nicolás Maduro as the Venezuelan president.
In October 2022, Petro claimed that more migrants were returning to Venezuela than leaving it, and more Colombians were entering Venezuela than Venezuelans entering Colombia.
Petro has criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.
Social Issues
Petro supports progressive views and policies on LGBT issues. When he was Mayor of Bogotá, he opened a center for LGBTI citizens. This center aimed to restore rights and end discrimination. He also supports recognizing the rights of same-sex couples, including adoption and social security.
He is a supporter of the feminist movement. His government program includes plans like creating a Ministry of Equality and focusing on women's issues.
Regarding land conflicts affecting indigenous people, he invited indigenous groups, the sugar cane industry, and social movements to discuss solutions for land disputes.
In January 2023, Petro stated he wants Colombia to move towards a preventive healthcare system. This system would focus on preventing diseases and would employ doctors to care for people in remote areas and poor farmers. He also proposed a monthly bonus for almost three million elderly people receiving state pensions.
Economic Plans
In a speech on May 1st, Gustavo Petro suggested that private banks should be required to invest in projects chosen by the government, such as agriculture and the tourism industry.
Personal Life
Gustavo Petro has been married three times. His first marriage was to Katia Burgos, and they had a son named Nicolás Petro Burgos.
Later, he was with Mary Luz Herrán for over 15 years. They had two children, Andreá and Andrés.
Petro met his current wife, Verónica Alcocer, in the late 1990s. They married in 2003 and have two daughters, Sofía and Antonella. Verónica also has a son from a previous relationship, also named Nicolás, whom Petro adopted in September 2022.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2006: Named Best Representative by the Chamber of Representatives.
- 2007: Received the Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award.
- 2011: Awarded the Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento Medal.
- 2013: Recognized as Defenzoor of the year and received the City Climate Leadership Award.
- 2018: Named Honorary Professor by the National University of Lanús.
- 2022: Received several high honors, including the Grand Collar of the Order of Boyacá.
- 2023: Awarded the Grand Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic and an honorary doctorate from the University for Peace.
Images for kids
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Mayor Petro in 2012.
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Protesters in Bolívar Square, Bogotá, demonstrating against Petro's removal from the mayoralty, March 2014.
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Petro and his running mate Ángela Robledo (far left) receiving endorsements from Antanas Mockus (third from left) and Claudia López Hernández (third from right) at an event in Bogotá, during the campaign for the second round, June 2018.
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Petro with former Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, in 2022.
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Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Gustavo Petro shortly before his inauguration, 6 August 2022
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Presidential inauguration ceremony
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Petro with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in August 2022
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Petro with US President Joe Biden in April 2023
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Petro with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in January 2023
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Petro with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in September 2023
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See also
In Spanish: Gustavo Petro para niños
