Colombia’s Ex-Top Prosecutor Makes Espionage Allegation Over Petro Era
COLOMBIA · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- —The country Colombia changed government on 7 August 2026, when right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella succeeded leftist Gustavo Petro as president.
- —Who is involved Francisco Barbosa led the Fiscalía, Colombia’s independent prosecution service, as attorney general from 2020 to 2024, overlapping with Petro’s first 18 months.
- —Why now On Saturday 3 October the magazine Semana published a forensic audit of the DNI, the national intelligence agency, ordered by De la Espriella.
- —What happened Barbosa said he was wiretapped, followed and searched in state databases while in office, and will file a criminal complaint on Monday 5 October.
- —The agencies He named the DNI and the UIAF, the financial intelligence unit, and asked both to preserve every record they hold on him.
- —What it means for you Nothing changes day to day for visitors or investors, but the feud between Colombia’s new government and its predecessor is deepening.
- —Still open None of the reports carried a response from Petro or former DNI chiefs, and nothing in the audit has been tested in court.
Colombia’s former attorney general Francisco Barbosa has made an espionage allegation against the intelligence services of former president Gustavo Petro. He said on Saturday 3 October 2026 that he was spied on while heading the prosecution service.
Barbosa will file a criminal complaint on Monday 5 October, La Opinión and El País of Cali reported. He called the alleged operations one of the gravest attacks on judicial independence in Colombia’s recent history.
What Barbosa Alleges
Barbosa says he was the target of wiretaps, physical surveillance and selective searches in state databases during his term, Infobae reported. He served as attorney general from February 2020 to February 2024.
His espionage allegation names two agencies: the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI) and the Financial Information and Analysis Unit (UIAF). The UIAF tracks suspicious money flows for the Finance Ministry.
According to La Opinión, Barbosa argues the surveillance aimed to intimidate prosecutors while they investigated people close to Petro. His former deputy, Martha Mancera, was also allegedly watched.
What He Is Asking For
Barbosa will ask the Fiscalía, the office he once ran, to investigate whoever ordered, carried out or covered up the operations. He wants speed, “so that time does not erase the criminal traces”, Infobae quoted him as saying.
He has also asked the DNI and the UIAF to hand over all documents, work orders and records about him. He wants those files preserved as evidence, El País reported.
The Audit Behind the Claims
The espionage allegation follows a forensic audit of the DNI ordered by President Abelardo de la Espriella. The right-wing lawyer took office in August, and Semana published the findings on Saturday.
According to Semana, auditors collected 147 terabytes of data, 40 computers and five phones or tablets. They classed more than 100 DNI staff as a critical or high security risk.
The magazine wrote that the agency became “a kind of political police” under Petro. It also questioned a drone bought for COP 9 billion (about US$2.7 million) that crashed in the Catatumbo region.
Weekly intelligence reports reached Petro, according to the magazine. A UIAF source told Semana that anyone who “smells of uribismo”, the movement of former president Álvaro Uribe, was watched.
Who Else Was Named
Semana’s list of alleged targets includes former presidents Álvaro Uribe and Iván Duque. It also names former Inspector General Margarita Cabello and former Comptroller Carlos Felipe Córdoba.
Right-wing politicians María Fernanda Cabal and Paloma Valencia appear on the list, as do retired generals Eduardo Zapateiro and Luis Fernando Navarro. La FM reported a similar list on Saturday.
The Other Side of the Story
None of the reports published on Saturday carried a response from Petro or from the five men who ran the DNI under him. The DNI had earlier rejected accusations from De la Espriella and asked for evidence, Semana noted.
The audit was commissioned by Petro’s political opponent, and all of its findings remain allegations. No court has ruled on them, and everyone named is presumed innocent.
The profile of Gustavo Petro explains how he governed from 2022 to 2026. The profile of Abelardo de la Espriella covers the new president’s agenda.
Why Spying Claims Strike a Nerve in Colombia
Colombia has been here before: the DNI was created in 2011 to replace the DAS. That agency was dissolved after it spied on Supreme Court judges, journalists and opposition figures.
That scandal, known locally as the “chuzadas” or wiretaps, hit the government of Álvaro Uribe. Barbosa’s espionage allegation now points the same kind of charge at a government of the opposite camp.
What Comes Next
The first step is Barbosa’s formal complaint on Monday 5 October. The Fiscalía must then decide whether and how to investigate it.
The DNI and the UIAF must also answer his requests for records. What the espionage allegation does not mean, for now, is that anyone has been charged.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Who is Francisco Barbosa?
Francisco Barbosa was Colombia’s attorney general, the head of the independent prosecution service, from 2020 to 2024. His term overlapped with the first 18 months of Gustavo Petro’s government.
What exactly does Barbosa’s espionage allegation say?
He says Colombia’s intelligence agency and financial intelligence unit wiretapped him, followed him and searched state databases about him. He believes the aim was to intimidate prosecutors investigating Petro’s circle.
Has anyone been charged?
No. Barbosa files his complaint only on Monday 5 October, and his espionage allegation has not been tested in court. Everyone named is presumed innocent.
Sources: La Opinión, 3 October 2026; Infobae, 3 October 2026; El País, 3 October 2026; Semana, 3 October 2026; Vanguardia, 3 October 2026; La FM, 3 October 2026; Semana (TRM rate), 3 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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