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Son of Colombia’s president arrested in money laundering probe

Published:Saturday | July 29, 2023 | 2:27 PM
Presidential candidate Gustavo Petro (centre), waves to supporters alongside his son Nicolas Petro Burgos (right), on election night in Bogota, Colombia in May last year. Colombian police arrested Petro’s son today as part of a high-profile money launder
AP
Presidential candidate Gustavo Petro (centre), waves to supporters alongside his son Nicolas Petro Burgos (right), on election night in Bogota, Colombia in May last year. Colombian police arrested Petro’s son today as part of a high-profile money laundering probe into funds he allegedly collected from convicted drug traffickers during last year’s presidential campaign.

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP):

Colombian police arrested the president’s son today as part of a high-profile money laundering probe into funds he allegedly collected from convicted drug traffickers during last year’s presidential campaign.

President Gustavo Petro, a former rebel who rose through Colombia’s political ranks as an anti-corruption crusader, said he wouldn’t interfere with the investigation.

“As an individual and father, it pains me to see so much self-destruction and one of my sons going to jail,” Petro said in an early morning message on X, the social media platform formerly Twitter. “As president of the republic, I’ve assured the chief prosecutor’s office that it will have all the guarantees to proceed according to the law.”

The arrest of Nicolas Petro is a crucial blow to the government, which has been buffeted by conservative attacks from day one. At the same time, it has struggled to maintain bipartisan support for Colombia in the United States of America (USA), a longtime ally in the war on drugs and the fight against illegal armed groups.

The investigation stems from shocking declarations by Nicolas Petro’s ex-wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, to local media outlet Semana earlier this year.

She said President Petro was unaware of her son’s dealings, and the money he collected in his campaign’s name was kept inside a safe inside the couple’s home in the coastal city of Barranquilla.

Nicolas Petro has denied his ex-wife’s claims as unfounded.

The chief prosecutor’s office said that Nicolas Petro and his ex-wife were taken into custody on orders of a court in Bogota around 6 a.m. local time today. It said that once brought before a judge, prosecutors would seek their provisional detention as it investigates the two for money laundering.

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