Colombia’s Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa, has made public the official testimony of Nicolás Petro Burgos, before the Accusations Committee of the Colombian Congress. This explosive testimony alleges that his own father, President Gustavo Petro, received illicit financing for his 2022 campaign.
In a bold move, Attorney General Barbosa has disseminated copies of this pivotal testimony not only to the Colombian Congress but also to the country’s Supreme Court and National Election Council. The decision to disclose this sensitive information comes on the heels of a comprehensive series of testimonies by Nicolás Petro, all of which point to the knowledge and involvement of President Petro in the acceptance of these questionable campaign contributions.
The contents of Nicolás Petro’s testimony have been thrust into the public eye through their publication in the Colombian news magazine, Semana. In his statements, Petro Burgos implicates several high-profile businessmen from Barranquilla, including Christian Daes and Euclides Torres, the most substantial private donor to the campaign.
The seriousness of these allegations prompted swift action by the Attorney General’s Office, leading to the arrest of Nicolás Petro and his former wife, Daysuris Vásquez, on July 29. Nicólas and “Day” Vásquez were charged for money laundering and illicit enrichment.
In a statement, the Attorney General’s Office confirms “the alleged commission of criminal acts, such as the apparent irregular entry of funds into the presidential campaign of Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego.” The statement goes on to highlight “the need for a thorough investigation into these allegations, which fall within the purview of the impeachment commission, potentially implicating crimes related to campaign financing”.
President Petro took to social media to address the testimonies from his eldest son and deflect possible impeachment hearings in Congress. “The Attorney General is forwarding copies against me, based on an unlawful interrogation in which the interrogator from his institution asks questions about me, which is a true blow to the Constitution, given that I am protected, both as a senator at that time and as president now,” he stated on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The unfolding legal case has also cast a shadow over First Lady Verónica Alcócer and her role in receiving cash donations, as well as former Chief of Staff Laura Sarabia and former Ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti. “As President, I will not exert any pressure on the justice system in their case; the judicial officials involved in their process will be respected by me. The campaign did not receive any illicit funds,” he stated shortly after his son, and Daysuris were arrested in Barranquilla.
The revelations from Nicolás Petro’s testimony have set the stage for a potentially explosive legal battle between President Petro, the Attorney General’s Office and Supreme Court, and one not witnessed since former President Ernesto Samper was investigated by Congress for having received in 1994, an estimated U$3,6 million in campaign donations from the Cali cartel.
On Friday, members of the indigenous minga stormed the entrance of the Semana building in Bogotá, breaking windows, just hours before the magazine was printed with the damning front cover of Nicolás Petro’s testimonies and story headlined: “My Father did Know”.
