Son of Colombian president arrested for alleged money laundering

Nicolas Petro, eldest child of Colombian president Gustavo Petro was arrested Saturday morning by authorities on charges of money-laundering and illicit enrichment. This marks the beginning of a legal proceeding that could test the justice system of the country.

Daysuris Vasquez was charged with money-laundering and arrested, according to a press release from Colombia’s Attorney General.

In an interview with Semana magazine, Vasquez, who had separated from Nicolas Petro after a rumored affair, had accused Nicolas Petro in March of using money donated to his father’s presidential campaign for a lavish lifestyle. Vasquez said Gustavo Petro did not know about his son’s actions.

Vasquez, speaking in Spanish to Semana, said that “the money never reached his father’s campaign.”

Nicolas Petro, in a written statement released after the Semana article was published and after the story had been published, denied having misused campaign funds. He also said that he would cooperate with the authorities.

The arrest of Colombia’s president’s child comes just weeks after audio recordings implicated his chief of staff, as well as his ambassador in Venezuela, for possible campaign finance violations. Gustavo Petro dismissed both people after Colombia’s Attorney General launched an investigation into the matter.

Political analysts told The Washington Post that the scandals have brought all eyes on Gustavo Petro, who is now in a position of damage control as his approval ratings are declining. Analysts said that the events would also test the Colombian justice systems independence, which is considered one of the strongest in an area plagued by widespread corruption.

The Post quoted Sergio Guzman as saying, “This is just the tip of an iceberg which will lead to a long investigation during this presidency.” Not only is his reputation at stake, but also the credibility of the Attorney General.”

Gustavo Petro said in a March interview to the Colombian news outlet Cambio Colombia that he was only a limited part of Nicolas’s upbringing. The president said to Cambio: “I didn’t raise him.” “That is the truth.”

After the arrests of his son Vasquez and Vasquez the president stated that he would let the investigation take its course. He further distanced himself from the issue.

Gustavo Petro, in a statement released on Saturday in Spanish, said that it hurts to see one of his children go to jail. “As president, I assure the Attorney General’s Office that they will have every option to follow the law on my side.”

The Colombian President also pledged to not interfere in the Attorney General’s investigation, “nor press his decisions.”

“To my son I wish him strength and luck. Gustavo Petro said, “May these events shape his character. I hope that he can learn from his mistakes.”

The Post reached out to a spokesman of Gustavo Petro on Saturday and he declined to comment, referring The Post to the online statement made by the president. The attorneys representing Nicolas Petro didn’t immediately reply to messages. As of late Saturday, it is not clear who represents Vasquez.

Guzman stated that Gustavo Petro spent his entire political career denouncing corruption and the influence narcotrafficking has in politics. There is no evidence to date of Gustavo Petro’s involvement in his son’s alleged activities.

“We have yet to find any evidence that Petro is directly involved.” Petro is currently in damage-control mode, trying to isolate this issue around his son. Guzman stated that it’s a president who doesn’t wish to be involved in this scandal. Many people say that Gustavo Petro couldn’t have known what his son did.