Before you start thinking that this brouhaha involves Kamala Harris, it doesn’t. This story involves a different Black Vice President. That would be Vice President Francia Márquez of Colombia. Back in September, the ongoing protests and unrest in that country resulted in an angry crowd showing up in front of Colombia’s congressional building. A female protester named Luz Fabiola Rubiano was asked by a local reporter to comment on the protesters’ demands. She launched into a tirade against Márquez (who is Black) including racist rhetoric and the subsequent video went viral. She was later arrested and pleaded guilty to “discrimination and harassment. Next month she will face sentencing and may wind up getting three years in prison… for saying things. (AP)

A 62-year-old woman was convicted of discrimination and harassment on Monday for making racist comments about Colombia’s first Black vice president during an antigovernment protest last year.

Luz Fabiola Rubiano pleaded guilty to the charges and will be sentenced by the judge on May 30. In Colombia, acts of discrimination are punishable with up to three years in prison, though judges can replace prison time with parole or house arrest.

The small business owner from Bogota went viral in September after she railed against Vice President Francia Márquez on a video published by a local news site.

In an effort to be fair to both sides, I will admit that the things Rubiano said during the protest were absolutely racist. And we’re talking about the kind of language that might leave any remaining members of the KKK in America shuffling their feet and saying, ‘um… you could be going a bit too far here.’ I won’t paste the comments in here but you can read them via the AP link above. Suffice it to say that she repeatedly referred to the Veep as a non-human primate.

The current legal system in Colombia is obviously far different than what we have in the United States, at least for the time being. In America, you can be accused of racism against the current Vice President just for saying that she doesn’t seem to be particularly good at her job. Then the progressive mob will set about getting you kicked off of social media, trying to get you fired, and potentially swatting you at your home. But you’re not going to get arrested. (At least not yet.)

Colombia is currently embroiled in protests both for and against the country’s new leftist president, Gustavo Petro. He is trying to jam through a series of “reforms” that he claims will improve social services, but critics say will embolden criminals. (Is any of this sounding familiar yet?) And as with all leftist regimes, those in power do not tolerate people speaking out of turn about them. The response to such criticism can be swift and more brutal than anything Americans face at the hands of their government. (Again… at least for now.)

As noted above, Luz Fabiola Rubiano is facing the possibility of three years behind bars. The judge has the ability to change that to parole or house arrest. Admittedly, the things the 62-year-old woman said were awful and had little or nothing to do with actual policy questions. But they were still just words said in the public square to a reporter.  And she’s facing possible jail time.

In that woman’s case, the message has been sent loud and clear. Dissent will not be tolerated and the power of the government can be blasted directly toward any citizen not sticking to the narrative. That’s just something to keep in the back of your mind as we watch leftist justice and social “reforms” playing out in the United States. Sometimes the slippery slope is real. And once you start sliding, it may be difficult or impossible to stop.