Ex-president Alvaro Uribe challenged Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s sexist populism by claiming Colombia’s women are the most beautiful.
Despite accusing presidential candidate Gustavo Petro of being a populist, the leader of the Democratic Center latest policy proposal focused on Colombian women’s “smooth skin” and “big eyes.”
The bizarre anecdote proved to be very popular at a rally in Envigado, on the outskirts of Medellin. Around 700 people turned up to the event in the town’s main plaza.
Uribe, whose protege Ivan Duque is leading in the polls for the elections on June 17, said: “I was asked once about Angelina Jolie. I replied, ‘yes, she is very beautiful but I think the women in Colombia are more beautiful. With big eyes and nice deep looks and smooth skin’.”
Plenty of women at the rally applauded the ex-president, who proceeded to talk about the decline of Venezuela and how his political movement would never legalize drug consumption.
He then spoke about a woman he met, and whose life had been destroyed by smoking marijuana.
With her eyes sad and tiny, her skin was pale. I asked her what happened and she said, ‘I fell in love with marijuana.
Alvaro Uribe
Envigado, a middle-class town south of Medellin, is a stronghold for the Democratic Center and the regional elites running the party.
Duque, a former Senator, is likely to pick up easy votes in the town and the surrounding areas.
Uribe’s comments were reminiscent of sexist comments made by the authoritarian Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia’s leader dismissed claims that Donald Trump used prostitutes in Moscow – despite them being the best in the world – because the US president has always been surrounded by attractive women.
“He socialized with the most beautiful women in the world,” he said.
“I can hardly imagine he rushed to the hotel to meet our girls of lower social responsibility – even though they are the best in the world, of course.”