Colombian President's Shared Operation Video Draws Backlash
Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella became the target of criticism after publishing a video of himself walking among body bags containing 23 people killed in a military operation.
Colombia's far-right president, Abelardo De La Espriella, sparked widespread public outrage by sharing footage on social media of himself walking among body bags of 23 guerrillas stated to have been neutralized in a military operation.
Operation Footage Shared
Having come to power last month and pledged a full-scale war against illegal armed groups, Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella published a video to demonstrate that he was fulfilling this promise.
Celebrating the military operation carried out in the Colombian Amazon where 23 people were killed, the far-right politician emphasized that he would combat terrorism without hesitation.
Harsher Reaction from Political Rivals
The body bag footage, accompanied by Hollywood-style music, was condemned and criticized by human rights activists as well as the president's political rivals.
Left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda, who lost to De La Espriella in June's elections, along with left-wing lawmaker Daniel Monroy and former president Gustavo Petro, reacted to the video sharing.
Response from the President
Refusing to back down in the face of criticism over the footage, Abelardo De La Espriella defended himself by stating that forgiving terrorists is God's job, while sending them to Him is the president's duty.