Bogotá, Colombia – Luis Carlos mejía, father of the recently deceased soldier Carlos José Mejía, publicly refuted President Gustavo Petro‘s suggestion that his son took his own life due to a lack of financial resources, stating, “I am not a liar, president. I return and repeat: respect our pain.” The exchange unfolded on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) following remarks made by Petro during a public address.
Petro had asserted that inadequate salaries for soldiers and police officers create a societal vulnerability, questioning how individuals are expected to risk their lives for a nation that doesn’t provide a “worthy minimum.” He further implied that financial hardship may have contributed to his son’s death. Mejía responded with a direct rebuke, demanding respect for his family’s grief.
This is the latest development in a fraught back-and-forth between the Mejía family and President petro. Earlier, Mejía released a nearly two-minute video responding to Petro’s claim that “the extreme right” was manipulating the facts surrounding his son’s death. In the video, Mejía confirmed his family had given Carlos José a Christian burial and implored petro to refrain from politicizing the tragedy.
“I don’t need anything about you, I don’t need anything about your goverment,” Mejía stated in the video. “My son could have had many shortcomings, but I can guarantee president that if there is something that did not miss my son it was love. it was created in a humble family, but honest and with values. (…) Respect our pain as I don’t want to see it for my house and I thank you for staying away from our family and our duel.”
The incident highlights ongoing tensions between the Petro administration and sectors of the Colombian military and their families. Carlos José Mejía’s death is currently under investigation by military authorities.