New clash between Bukele and Petro on Twitter

Colombian President Gustavo Petro continued his attacks against El Salvador's Nayib Bukele. This is the second time in March that Petro has spoken out publicly in a critical tone against his Salvadoran counterpart.

On this occasion, Petro accused Bukele of negotiating with the maras, a type of Salvadoran gang, to reduce violence in the streets. "Better than making government pacts under the table is that justice can make them on the table without deceit and in search of Peace," wrote the Colombian leftist.

"The Millennial President," as Bukele is known, was quick to respond to his Colombian counterpart. He reminded him of the latest news about the corruption scheme in which Petro's own son is involved. Quickly the hashtag #TodoBienEnCasa (all good at home) went viral on Twitter.

Gustavo Petro responded by indirectly accusing Bukele of putting an end to the presumption of innocence in El Salvador and putting democracy and justice in question. The former guerrilla referred to the measures that the Salvadoran government employed to put an end to the serious spiral of violence that plagued the country.

Bukele imposed a state of emergency in March 2022 that is still in place. Since then, the homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants has fallen to 7.8, the best figure in the country's history and the second best in the entire region.

Confrontations between Petro and Bukele

The confrontations between Bukele and Petro are not a novelty. Earlier this month, they had a clash over similar issues when President Petro criticized Bukele's measures during a speech on March 1. Bukele responded via Twitter, highlighting that his measures against gang violence have been more successful than Petro's.

The Colombian president assured that violence has been reduced in Colombia by other means, such as the creation of universities, study centers and spaces for dialogue. The homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants in Colombia was 26.1 points in 2022. Bukele also criticized Petro for indulging in criticism when the Salvadoran enjoys a better rating in the polls than he does. Between 80% and 95% of Salvadorans support Bukele, versus just 50%-57% of Colombians for Petro.