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The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been arrested on charges of money laundering. This comes as part of an election finance scandal that poses a threat to the country’s first leftist government in South America.
Nicolás Petro, who has been under investigation for alleged campaign finance irregularities since March, was arrested on Saturday at 6am. He has been charged with illicit enrichment.
President Petro, who took office last year with a strong stance against corruption, expressed his regret over his son’s arrest but promised to respect the independence of the investigation.
On Twitter, he said, “As an individual and father, it pains me to see so much self-destruction and one of my sons going to jail. The prosecution has my assurance to proceed in accordance with the law. I wish my son luck and strength. May these occurrences shape his character and lead him to reflect on his mistakes.”
Nicolás Petro’s ex-wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vásquez, was also arrested on Saturday. In March, she revealed to local media that Nicolás Petro, who is also a politician, arranged donations from individuals accused of drug trafficking for his father’s campaign last year.
At the time, Nicolás Petro denied any wrongdoing and called the accusations “baseless and damaging”. President Petro welcomed the investigation and stated that he did not have detailed knowledge of his son’s activities.
The attorney-general’s office announced on Saturday that prosecutors would seek the temporary detention of both Nicolás Petro and Vásquez after their appearance before a judge in Bogotá.
Miguel Uribe Turbay, an opposition politician, stated that the president must take responsibility for the campaign financing scandal. He said, “This arrest is evidence of Petro’s deception and confirms a deal in which he sold impunity for political and economic support.”
Petro’s government has also faced a strange scandal involving his former chief of staff, Laura Sarabia, and Armando Benedetti, a former campaign manager and ambassador to Venezuela. The scandal revolves around allegations of wiretapping a former nanny.
Saturday’s arrests come at a time when Petro, a former member of the now-defunct leftist-nationalist M-19 guerrilla group, is facing difficulties in pushing his comprehensive reform agenda through Congress. Proposals to expand the government’s role in health and pension provision are facing obstacles after a bill to overhaul labor laws and reduce working hours was put on hold by lawmakers last month.
In April, frustrated with the slow progress, Petro declared that his governing coalition had collapsed and reshuffled his cabinet, replacing the respected finance minister José Antonio Ocampo with his ally Ricardo Bonilla.
Despite Petro’s struggles, investors have responded positively, with the Colombian peso gaining over 20% against the dollar this year, outperforming most emerging market currencies. Yields on the country’s bonds have also decreased in recent weeks.
Sergio Guzmán, director of Colombia Risk Analysis, a consultancy based in Bogotá, commented, “This scandal does not help the government’s reform efforts. It will give opposing lawmakers more leverage against Petro.”
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