Discursive approach to the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries: Analysis of Gustavo Petro's publications on Twitter (X) on international politics

Abstract

Political leaders use social networks to communicate directly with national and international audiences without the intermediation of traditional media. However, there is an open debate about the use of Twitter by heads of state to comment on issues other than their government actions, such as intervening in the internal affairs of other countries. This is the case of Gustavo Petro, who uses Twitter to accompany his political debate. Some of these tweets have been controversial, as they have been described as interventionist in the internal affairs of sovereign states. This research analyzes the tweets published by President Petro from his taking office on August 7, 2022, until July 23, 2023, to determine his discursive intentionality when commenting on sovereign countries’ internal affairs. The methodology used was the case study, reviewed from the political discourse analysis. In conclusion, it is established that Petro's comments have had two discursive intentions: 1) to show himself as an influential figure with discursive power and international leadership vis-à-vis other Latin American countries, and 2) to justify his own decisions and policies, and governmental reforms in Colombia.