COLOMBIA · POLITICS
Key Facts
- Allegation A woman alleges Petro traded state contracts for sex; he denies it. Nothing is proven.
- Status Colombia’s former president left office on 7 August 2026; he faces no formal charge.
- Video Posted this week; its date, place and origin are unverified.
- Inquiries Prosecutors, the Supreme Court and the state disciplinary watchdog are all examining the case.
- Next step The accuser’s lawyer plans to give the video to authorities on 5 November.
- Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.1 points (November 2026 edition).
Former Colombian president Gustavo Petro denies sex contract claims, the allegation that he traded state contracts for sex. A woman named Deicy Jiménez made the claim public on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
Prosecutors, the Supreme Court and a state disciplinary watchdog are all looking into the matter, and no charge has been filed against Petro. For US readers, the case touches a former leader the US Treasury placed under counternarcotics sanctions on 24 October 2025.
What Is Alleged and What Petro Says
Jiménez alleges that Petro arranged public contracts for women in exchange for sex. She says the contracts began while he sat in Congress and continued during his presidency.
Petro rejects the claim. In a statement on Sunday, 25 October 2026, he said he never gave a contract in exchange for sexual relations.
This week, Jiménez posted a video on social media and called it proof that she is telling the truth. The recording is private in nature, and its authenticity has not been established.
Petro’s lawyer, Alejandro Carranza, said the clip is a fragment with no date, place or verified origin, and is not evidence. He added that the images show no contract, no payment and no government decision.
What Prosecutors and Courts Are Doing
On Monday, 26 October 2026, the Fiscalía, Colombia’s state prosecution service, said it would call Jiménez as a witness. Its inquiry covers possible irregularities at the Presidency’s administrative department, known as Dapre.
The same day, the Procuraduría, the watchdog that disciplines public officials, opened a preliminary inquiry into unnamed officials at five public bodies. They are Congress’s administrative office, Dapre, the Interior Ministry and the private-security and health regulators.
The Procuraduría asked the five bodies for lists of women hired on service contracts since 2019. It has announced no findings.
On Tuesday, 27 October 2026, the Supreme Court’s Investigation Chamber admitted a complaint against Petro and former senator María José Pizarro for study. The court’s president said the case is at a very early stage, and nobody has been formally charged.
Jiménez testified for more than three hours before that chamber on Thursday, 29 October 2026. She said she would hand over her phone as evidence.
Her first lawyer quit this week, citing security reasons. Her new lawyer, Dina Luz Malo Andrade, says the video goes to the authorities on Thursday, 5 November 2026.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Gustavo Petro is a former Bogotá mayor and senator who was elected president in 2022. He handed power to Abelardo de la Espriella, a lawyer sworn in on Friday, 7 August 2026, and holds no presidential power today.
Deicy Jiménez is the woman making the allegation, and she is a witness, not a defendant. María José Pizarro is a former senator from Petro’s Historic Pact party, and she calls the claims baseless.
Complaints about a president’s conduct in office go to the House of Representatives’ Commission of Accusation, which can send cases to the Senate. Complaints have been filed there, but the commission has made no decision.
What It Means for You
Colombia is a major US partner on drugs, security and trade, so a scandal around its last president moves politics in Bogotá and Washington. The US Treasury sanctioned Petro on 24 October 2025 under its counternarcotics authority, as shown in its public notice.
Petro no longer sets policy, so the case matters more for politics than for markets or travel. Investors and expats should watch whether the courts open a formal case.
Our profile of Petro and our guide to Colombia and the United States explain the background. We will update the story as the courts act.
What Is Not Known
Nobody has shown that the video is authentic, when it was made or what it proves about any contract. Only a technical examination inside a judicial process can settle that.
It is not known whether prosecutors or the Supreme Court will open a formal case against Petro. No specific contract has been publicly tied to any alleged favor.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gustavo Petro accused of?
A woman alleges that Petro traded state contracts for sex. Petro denies it, and no charge has been filed.
Is Petro still president of Colombia?
No. Petro left office on 7 August 2026, when Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president.
Who is investigating the claims?
The Fiscalía, the Supreme Court’s Investigation Chamber and the Procuraduría are each examining parts of the case. None has announced findings against Petro.
Is the video proof?
Its authenticity, date and origin have not been verified. Petro’s lawyer says it shows no contract, no payment and no government decision.
Sources: Procuraduría General de la Nación, inquiry of 26 October 2026; US Treasury, press release sb0292 on sanctions against Gustavo Petro, 24 October 2025; Colombian Supreme Court, Investigation Chamber proceedings, and statements by Petro and by his lawyer, 25 October to 5 November 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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