Petro Defends His Legacy in Final Address to Colombia’s Congress

Less than three weeks before leaving the Presidency of Colombia, Gustavo Petro used the opening of the new Congress for the 2026–2030 term to deliver the broadest assessment of his administration and defend his legacy before the newly elected lawmakers and the Colombian people.

What had initially been planned as a ceremonial address ultimately became a speech lasting nearly two hours—twice as long as expected—in which he highlighted the main policies of his administration and defended the results of a presidency that will conclude on August 7.

From the Elliptical Hall of the Capitol Building, Petro presented a positive assessment of his four years in office, insisting that his government laid the foundations for the country’s economic and social transformation.

In an atmosphere shaped by the transition to the administration of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, the president avoided focusing on the current political situation and instead chose to build a narrative around the legacy he believes he leaves behind after becoming the first left-wing president in Colombia’s history.

Petro defends his legacy in final address to Colombia’s Congress

One of the central themes of the speech was industrialization policy. Petro argued that his administration promoted a shift in Colombia’s economic model aimed at reducing dependence on raw materials and strengthening domestic production, a goal he had already championed during his 2022 presidential campaign. “We have come to develop capitalism, not to end it,” he said four years ago.

According to his remarks today, growth in various manufacturing and agro-industrial sectors—especially electric vehicle production, agricultural output, and tourism—demonstrates that the country has begun to recover productive capacities that had lost prominence over several decades.

The president insisted that reindustrialization was a strategic effort to generate higher-quality jobs—while unemployment is now at its lowest level of the century—and to increase the value added of the Colombian economy.

He also highlighted support for the popular economy, the strengthening of agricultural production, and the transition toward economic activities compatible with the environmental objectives that shaped much of his presidential agenda.

Security: A different reading of the numbers

In one of the most controversial sections of his address, Petro defended his administration’s security record. In response to criticism over deteriorating public order in several regions and the difficulties of the Total Peace policy, the president argued that the indicators show a reduction in citizen insecurity and a decline in several crimes that affect Colombians’ daily lives.

His interpretation contrasts with criticism from political and security sectors that, over the past several years, questioned the State’s ability to contain the strengthening of illegal armed groups in different parts of the country. Nevertheless, Petro maintained that results should be measured using objective indicators and argued that the figures support the work carried out by his administration.

To support his argument, he presented data on theft—the country’s main citizen-security crime, as he described it—which experienced a significant decline. He used that trend to link the reduction in crime to lower poverty levels and increased educational opportunities.

Moreover, the outgoing president argued that “the best investment in security for Colombia” was raising “the monthly salaries of soldiers and police officers from 300,000 to 1.75 million pesos,” insisting that “it is not an expense, it is an investment.”

In addition, the president devoted a significant portion of his speech to defending the social progress achieved during his administration. Among the achievements he highlighted was the reduction in infant mortality, one of the indicators he presented as evidence that the public policies promoted by his government produced tangible improvements in the living conditions of the most vulnerable population.

Petro linked those results to the expansion of primary care programs, nutrition initiatives, access to drinking water, and preventive healthcare measures. For the president, these indicators reflect a structural transformation that, he argued, transcends political disputes and constitutes one of the principal legacies of his administration.

Healthcare: Between achievements and criticism

The president also defended the reform of the healthcare system, one of the most controversial projects of his administration, which failed to secure congressional approval and leaves the system on the brink of collapse.

Although he indirectly acknowledged the difficult situation facing the healthcare sector and the challenges encountered during the implementation of the changes promoted by the executive branch, he argued that the preventive-care model advanced by his administration represents progress compared with the traditional system.

The defense of the healthcare system occupied a prominent place in his assessment despite the fact that service disruptions, the financial difficulties of several entities, and criticism from patients, physicians, and political opponents defined much of the final stage of his presidency. Petro insisted that the reforms undertaken were intended to guarantee more equitable access to healthcare services.

Finally, the outgoing president warned about the effects of the El Niño phenomenon—which is expected to reach its maximum intensity in December—and the risks this poses to electricity generation. In that context, he defended investment in solar power generation as a counterbalance to the anticipated decline in water reserves, the primary source of electricity generation in Colombia.

After two hours of arguments, the address ultimately became a comprehensive defense of his four years in office. Petro presented an assessment built around economic, social, and security indicators with the aim of establishing his own interpretation of a presidency marked by profound reforms, intense political confrontations, and persistent national polarization.

His speech closed an institutional chapter that began in August 2022 and set forth the narrative through which he hopes his presidency will be judged. Beginning on August 7, when he hands power over to Abelardo de la Espriella, that assessment will begin to be measured against the priorities and decisions of the new administration, while the legacy of Colombia’s first left-wing president continues to be the subject of intense political debate.