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It has been no secret that political scandals have had a long history in Colombia.
Sadly, the latest scandal involves the son of President Gustavo Petro and his involvement with money laundering and illicit enrichment.
Nicolas Petro, 36, pleaded not guilty to these charges.
This has sparked questions about the funding for President Gustavo Petro’s 2022 presidential campaign which has made him a target of opposition parties.
In March of this year, Nicolas’ ex-wife Daysuris Vasquez made shocking allegations against him during an interview with local news magazine Semana.
She claimed that he had pocketed 600 million pesos (USD $150,000) from a politician who was convicted in Washington for drug trafficking and wanted to donate it to President Petro’s campaign fund.
It gets worse – prosecutors accused Nicolas of registering luxurious homes and vehicles under relatives’ names in order to avoid taxation investigations. He allegedly earned ten times his salary in 2022 alone.
Prosecutors also believe that Vasquez aided her husband by helping him hide thousands of dollars in cash at their home.
The couple was arrested on Saturday night and attended Tuesday’s hearing from the headquarters of the Chief Prosecutor’s office in Bogotá where they are being held.
President Petro released a statement shortly after these events occurred saying that he would not interfere with the investigation or attempt to help his son escape punishment for any mistakes he may have made.
He even sent out a message on Twitter hoping his son would reflect on his mistakes but did not elaborate further than this statement indicating he does not want any involvement from himself or anyone else associated with him politically.
This follows yet another corruption scandal involving Petro earlier this year when messages were released suggesting his campaign may have received funds from drug traffickers which both he and those involved denied adamantly stating all donations were thoroughly examined before acceptance into their accounts.
