One moment of appearing intoxicated becomes a symbol of broader anxiety
En la recta final hacia las elecciones presidenciales de Colombia, Gustavo Petro —el candidato de izquierda que encabeza todas las encuestas— se vio obligado a pedir disculpas públicas tras ser captado en video aparentemente ebrio durante un discurso en Girardot. El incidente, atribuido por él mismo al agotamiento de un viaje europeo y al desfase horario, abrió una grieta momentánea en su imagen justo cuando la historia parecía inclinarse a su favor. En un país donde la izquierda raramente ha gobernado, cada tropiezo del favorito se convierte en espejo donde sus adversarios reflejan sus propios temores y esperanzas.
- Las imágenes de Petro hablando visiblemente afectado por el alcohol se propagaron sin freno por las redes sociales, convirtiendo un lunes por la noche en Girardot en un momento de crisis nacional.
- Sus rivales de derecha no tardaron en transformar el tropiezo en arma política: Zuluaga insinuó que algunos se embriagan de poder antes incluso de llegar a él, y Cabal usó el refrán de que los borrachos dicen la verdad para cuestionar las verdaderas intenciones del candidato.
- Petro respondió en Twitter reconociendo haber bebido antes del acto, culpando al cansancio acumulado de su gira europea —que incluyó una audiencia privada con el Papa Francisco— y pidiendo disculpas a quienes asistieron al mitin.
- A pesar del escándalo, su posición en la carrera electoral sigue siendo sólida, aunque el incidente plantea una pregunta que el electorado deberá responder: ¿es este un desliz humano y aislado, o una señal de algo más profundo sobre su preparación para gobernar?
Gustavo Petro, el candidato izquierdista que lidera las encuestas de cara a las elecciones presidenciales colombianas del próximo mayo, tuvo que recurrir a Twitter para disculparse después de que un video lo mostrara aparentemente ebrio durante un discurso público en Girardot, ciudad ubicada a unos 140 kilómetros al sur de Bogotá. El momento, captado el lunes por la noche mientras se dirigía a sus seguidores en una plaza, se volvió viral de inmediato.
El candidato del Pacto Histórico, de 61 años y exguerrillero, explicó que había consumido una copa antes del evento durante una reunión previa, y que la combinación del alcohol con el agotamiento de una gira europea —que incluyó una audiencia con el Papa Francisco en el Vaticano— afectó su desempeño. Se disculpó con los asistentes al acto y reconoció haber forzado su presencia pese al cansancio.
Sus adversarios aprovecharon el momento sin demora. Óscar Iván Zuluaga, respaldado por el expresidente Álvaro Uribe, sugirió irónicamente que algunos políticos se embriagan de poder antes de llegar a él. La senadora María Fernanda Cabal fue más incisiva: invocó el dicho popular de que los borrachos dicen la verdad y lo vinculó al eslogan de campaña de Petro, insinuando que el incidente revelaba sus verdaderas intenciones.
Petro ya perdió la segunda vuelta de 2018 frente al actual presidente Iván Duque, pero desde entonces ha consolidado un apoyo sin precedentes para la izquierda en un país históricamente gobernado por la derecha. Con la primera vuelta fijada para el 29 de mayo, el tropiezo de Girardot se convirtió en una prueba temprana: ¿verá el electorado en este episodio un error humano y pasajero, o el síntoma de una fragilidad más honda en quien aspira a liderar Colombia?
Gustavo Petro, the leftist candidate leading every poll ahead of Colombia's May presidential election, found himself apologizing on Twitter this week after video footage showed him appearing intoxicated during a public speech. The incident unfolded Monday evening in Girardot, a city roughly 140 kilometers south of Bogotá, where the 61-year-old was addressing supporters at a plaza. Cameras captured him speaking under the influence of alcohol, and by Tuesday the moment had become inescapable across social media.
Petro, a former guerrilla fighter now running as the standard-bearer of the Pacto Histórico coalition, acknowledged the lapse in a statement posted to Twitter. He attributed the slip to exhaustion from a European trip the previous week, compounded by jet lag and the disorientation of travel. He said he had consumed a drink before the event during a preliminary meeting, and that the combination of fatigue and alcohol had affected his performance. He apologized to those who attended the rally, noting that he had pushed through despite his tiredness.
The apology did little to contain the political damage. His opponents moved swiftly to weaponize the moment. Óscar Iván Zuluaga, the conservative candidate backed by former president Álvaro Uribe, posted his own message suggesting that some politicians become intoxicated by power while others appear to start that way before taking office. He posed a rhetorical question about what a Petro presidency might look like. María Fernanda Cabal, a senator from the governing Centro Democrático party, took a different tack, invoking the old saying that drunk people tell the truth, then quoted Petro's campaign slogan about raising red flags again, framing his words as a revealing glimpse into his true intentions for the country.
Petro's position in the race remains formidable despite the controversy. He lost the 2018 runoff to current president Iván Duque, but has since consolidated support in a nation historically governed by the right. The first round of voting is scheduled for May 29. If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote, a second round will follow on June 19. Just days before the Girardot incident, Petro had completed a European tour that included a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, a moment designed to elevate his international standing and appeal to Catholic voters at home.
The timing of the stumble—less than four months before voters go to the polls—handed his rivals a tangible moment to question not just his judgment but his fitness for the presidency itself. In a country where the left has rarely held executive power, the image of the frontrunner appearing compromised, however briefly and however explained, became a test of whether the electorate would overlook a lapse or see it as emblematic of deeper concerns about his readiness for office.
Citações Notáveis
The fatigue from travel to Europe and the time change made a drink I had before the Girardot event sit poorly with me. I apologize to those who attended.— Gustavo Petro, via Twitter
Some politicians get drunk on power. Others seem to start that way. Imagine what Petro would be like as president.— Óscar Iván Zuluaga, conservative candidate
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does a single moment of someone appearing drunk at a campaign event become such a big story in a presidential race?
Because it's visual, it's undeniable, and it invites people to make a judgment about character and fitness. In a close race, opponents don't need to prove you're unfit—they just need to plant doubt.
But Petro explained it. He said he was exhausted from travel, that he had a drink before the event. Doesn't that explanation matter?
It matters to some voters, but not to his opponents. They're not interested in the explanation. They're interested in the image—a leading presidential candidate appearing to lose control. The explanation becomes secondary to the visual fact.
His opponents made jokes about him being drunk on power, about what would happen if he won. Is that a serious political argument?
It's not an argument at all. It's rhetoric. They're using the incident as a springboard to suggest something larger about his character or his ideology. Whether it's fair or effective depends on how voters interpret it.
Does this kind of thing actually change how people vote?
In a close race, yes. It can shift undecided voters or demoralize supporters who are already uncertain. But Petro was leading by a significant margin. The question is whether this erodes that lead or whether it fades as other issues dominate the campaign.
What's the larger context here? Why is this race significant for Colombia?
Because the left has never really held the presidency in Colombia. Petro represents a genuine shift in the country's political direction. His opponents are trying to convince voters that he's not ready for that responsibility. One moment of appearing intoxicated becomes a symbol of that broader anxiety.