Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Saturday that his son Nicolás has been arrested on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment in a scandal related to his election campaign.
Colombian police arrested Nicolás Petro, son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, on Saturday as part of a high-profile investigation into money laundering he allegedly collected during the campaign for last year’s presidential election.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has made it clear that he will not interfere in the investigation. And he confirmed early this Saturday, through a morning message on his account via the “Twitter” social networking platform: “As a human being and as a father, it pains me to see so much self-destruction and that one of my sons goes to prison … As President of the Republic, I assured the Public Prosecutor’s Office that he would receive All guarantees so that he can proceed in accordance with the law.”
The Colombian president added, “I wish my son success and strength… I hope that these events build your personality… and reflect on your mistakes. As I mentioned before the Attorney General, I will not interfere and will not pressure his decisions, and let the law take its course and guide the process freely.”
And the media had previously confirmed that Nicholas Petro, a member of parliament for the Atlantico region, welcomed the investigation that began in March, when he denied the accusations that he had taken money from drug traffickers in return for their involvement in his father’s peace efforts, and confirmed that they are unfounded. .
The arrest of Nicholas Petro is a “painful” blow to the government, which has been harshly criticized by conservatives opposed to leftist President Gustavo Petro.
The arrest of Nicholas Petro coincided with the arrest of his ex-wife, Daisoris Vasquez, who had previously confirmed in a previous interview that her ex-husband had received about $124,000 from a former drug dealer named Samuel Santander Lopesierra. This man spent 18 years in prison in the United States for drug trafficking.
Vazquez alleged that Nicolas Petro received large sums of money from drug traffickers and people smugglers in 2022 for his father’s presidential campaign but instead used them to live in luxury in the northern city of Barranquilla. His bank records were published by the media, which showed he had far more money than was commensurate with his salary as an MP.
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2023-07-29 15:33:45
