Petro: “There is not a single investigation” in Colombia for his links to drug trafficking

Bogotá.- Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated this Friday that in the country “there is not a single investigation” into alleged links of his with drug traffickers, after The New York Times reported on a supposed investigation by the United States Justice Department against him for that reason. «Never in my life have I spoken to a drug trafficker, on the contrary, I dedicated ten years of my life, and at the risk of my existence and caused the exile of my family, to denounce the links between the most powerful drug traffickers and politicians in Congress» and in other instances of power, during «la era of paramilitary governance», Petro stated when commenting on the news. According to the New York newspaper, the investigations, led by the Manhattan and Brooklyn district attorneys’ offices in New York, are in their initial phase and are focused on whether Petro held meetings with drug traffickers or if he requested donations from traffickers during his 2022 presidential campaign.

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“Regarding my campaigns, I have always told (the) managers that donations from either bankers or drug traffickers are not accepted,” Petro affirmed, who added that the investigation in Colombia of his presidential campaign did not find “a single peso from drug traffickers.” According to the president, that has been his “personal principle as a political leader,” and he attributed the alleged investigations against him in the United States to “accusations from the Colombian extreme right,” which he said is “articulated” with drug traffickers.

Response from the Colombian Embassy

The Colombian embassy in Washington also responded to the New York Times report, assuring that the accusations against the president “lack foundation.” “No competent authority has issued any formal determination or notification, nor has it confirmed the claims mentioned in the report. The reported insinuations lack legal and factual basis,” the embassy stated in a statement. The diplomatic legacy pointed out that the report is based on “anonymous sources and without concrete findings”, and asked that it be read “in its complete context and with the caution that these types of unverified versions merit”. The relationship between the United States and Colombia has been experiencing tensions since January 2025, after the second term of President Donald Trump began, which led to a stage of strong differences with the Colombian government on issues such as immigration policy and the fight against drugs.

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Last September, Washington withdrew Colombia’s certification in the fight against drugs, and days later revoked Petro’s visa after the president participated in an event in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, in which he urged US military personnel to disobey orders from their government regarding the war in Gaza. Tension decreased after a call between Petro and Trump at the beginning of January, which led to the cordial meeting they held at the White House on February 3rd.