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Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., issued a major warning against the spread of “leftwing totalitarian ideology” in a Monday press conference.
DeSantis, who has led the charge for freedom in Florida and frequently clashed with the Biden administration, responded to the news surrounding Columbia’s latest election.
In his press conference, DeSantis stated, “I just want to say on behalf of the people of Florida, we watched the election results down in Columbia, and we have a lot of great Columbian Americans here in our state who were very concerned about what was going on.”
According to Miami Herald, Gustavo Petro succeeded in becoming the first left-wing president of Columbia. According to the outlet, Petro is a former guerrilla and participated in an terrorist organization called M-19. According to the New York Times, Petro campaigned on transforming the economic structure of Columbia and bringing change to a historically conservative nation.
“The results of that election have been very very troubling for people that believe in freedom in the Western Hemisphere,” said the Florida governor. He warned, “To elect a former narco-terrorist and a Marxist to lead Columbia is going to be disastrous.”
While DeSantis said the people of Florida had hoped for a different election result, he emphasized that his administration has “stood with the people here in Florida that have ties to Columbia.”
In a blunt admission, DeSantis stated, “We’ve got a problem in the Western Hemisphere with Marxism and totalitarianism really spreading.” He added, “It just keeps rearing its head.”
The governor’s comments are similar to the warning Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., gave this spring at CPAC about the influence of Marxist ideology. Rubio warned that Marxist ideology has permeated Western culture and presents a real threat to America’s core principles of freedom and democracy.
With Marxism spreading in the Western Hemisphere, both DeSantis and Rubio have attempted to lead a stand for freedom in America and in the Western Hemisphere.
Expressing his commitment to freedom, DeSantis explained, “We’ll continue to stand with the people of Florida here who are passionate about freedom in the Western Hemisphere, particularly in Columbia.”
Summing up his thoughts on the threat of Marxism and the importance of freedom, DeSantis tweeted, “The election in Colombia of a former narco-terrorist Marxist is troubling and disappointing. The spread of left-wing totalitarian ideology in the Western Hemisphere is a growing threat.”
Nevertheless, DeSantis made it clear, “Florida stands with Colombian Americans on the side of freedom.”