Gustavo Petro
A former guerrilla turned politician who shattered Colombia's political establishment to become its first leftist president, promising radical social and environmental reform.
Born 1960 (age 66)·President of Colombia since 2022·Birthday: April 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Gustavo Petro's journey to the Casa de Nariño is a story of radical transformation and relentless political struggle. His early life was defined by membership in the M-19 guerrilla movement, a choice that led to imprisonment and shaped his critique of Colombia's entrenched oligarchy. After demobilization and a political amnesty, he remade himself as a sharp-tongued senator and mayor of Bogotá, known for his intellectual rigor and unyielding stance against corruption. His presidential campaigns, long dismissed by the traditional elite, finally culminated in a historic 2022 victory. His administration represents a profound shift, aiming to wean Colombia's economy from fossil fuels, implement ambitious agrarian reforms, and pursue "Total Peace" negotiations with remaining armed groups. Petro governs as a polarizing figure, embodying the hopes of marginalized millions and the fierce resistance of the established order, placing Colombia at the center of Latin America's political debates.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Gustavo was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gustavo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Gustavo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected as the first left-wing president in Colombia's modern history in 2022.
- Served as a senator for multiple terms and as Mayor of Bogotá from 2012 to 2015.
- Spearheaded the controversial "Total Peace" policy to negotiate with various armed insurgent groups.
- Launched ambitious proposals to transition Colombia to a green economy, ending new oil and gas exploration.
Did You Know?
He was imprisoned by the military in 1985 for his involvement with the M-19 movement.
Petro holds a degree in Economics and did postgraduate work in Public Administration and Environmental Development.
As a senator, he was known for his fiery denunciations of paramilitary ties to politics, often putting him at personal risk.
He briefly sought asylum in the Colombian embassy in Havana, Cuba, in the 1990s.
““We are not here to take power from one elite to give it to another. We are here to give power to the people.””
