The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, criticized his Argentine counterpart, Javier Milei, for giving a chainsaw to entrepreneur Elon Musk. Petro made these statements in response to a gesture by Milei, who gifted the chainsaw to Musk during an event.
The chainsaw is a symbol of Milei's presidential campaign in 2023, representing his stance in favor of cuts and adjustments to the State. The gesture took place during the inauguration of CPAC, a conservative summit, where Milei was scheduled to give a speech.
Disagreements between Petro and Milei arose during the G20 Summit in Brazil months ago. Petro expressed his disapproval of the chainsaw gift, associating the tool with violence and conflict in Colombia. In Petro's words: "Don't they know that in Colombia this instrument was used to dismember thousands of human beings?"
This public exchange between the Colombian and Argentine leaders reflects political differences and symbolism that have generated controversy in both countries.
