Colombian president’s son and ex-wife arrested for money laundering; court upholds legality of trial
A Bogotá court on Sunday formalized the arrest of Nicolás Petro Burgos, the son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, and his ex-wife Daysuris Vásquez, in connection to potential money laundering charges, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
The legality of the arrest procedures, carried out on Saturday at their residences in Barranquilla, was declared by the judge.
The court also authorized the seizure of potential evidence during the arrest.
The Penal Municipal Court 74, overseeing the case, verified that all constitutional and legal requirements were met during detention.
In the coming days, possibly Tuesday, the Prosecutor’s Office will formally charge Nicolás Petro with money laundering and illicit enrichment, while his ex-wife faces money laundering and personal data violation charges.
Nicolás Petro, a member of the Atlantic Assembly, was arrested in Barranquilla as part of an investigation initiated by the Prosecutor’s Office last March.
The investigation stemmed from an interview given by Vásquez to Semana magazine, in which she claimed that Nicolás Petro had received a large sum of money from a drug trafficker for his father’s electoral campaign, which he kept for himself.
Upon learning of the news, President Petro stated, “As a person and father, it hurts me a lot to see such self-destruction and that one of my children is going through jail.”
“As President of the Republic, I assure that the Prosecutor’s Office has all the guarantees on my part to proceed according to the law.”
He further added that he would not interfere with or pressure the Prosecutor’s Office’s decisions regarding his son.
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