Gustavo Petro breaks his silence: Denies leaving the country and denounces persecution
The former president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has reappeared on the public stage to categorically deny the rumors circulating about his alleged intention to leave the national territory in the face of a possible arrest or extradition warrant. Through an official statement, the former leader reaffirmed his commitment to remain in the country.
Official Gustavo Petro post on Instagram
I have not disappeared, I have been in the country and I will not leave except intermittently. There will be no extradition or trial against me, because I have not committed any crime.
Gustavo Petro
Reports of threats against their environment
Beyond his legal situation, Petro used the space to denounce a series of threats directed at his inner circle. According to the former head of state, his daughter, Antonella Petro, has been the target of intimidation, including the threat of opening legal proceedings against her and the possibility of being included on the OFAC list. Petro described these actions as a deliberate strategy to generate fear and destabilize the progressive movement.
Political tension with the Abelardo de la Espriella administration
This exchange of statements occurs amidst a tense political climate following the rise to power of President Abelardo de la Espriella. The new Government has launched a legal offensive by filing a series of complaints with the Prosecutor’s Office, the Comptroller’s Office, and the Inspector General’s Office regarding alleged irregularities detected during the previous administration.
- The transition team reported possible anomalies amounting to 370 billion Colombian pesos.
- Investigations are focused on procurement processes in entities such as the Ministry of Defense, the National Protection Unit, and CENIT, a subsidiary of Ecopetrol.
- Specifically, the acquisition of 16 anti-drone systems is being investigated due to suspicions of cost overruns.
It is important to highlight that these complaints are currently in the investigation phase by the competent authorities and do not represent, at this moment, a conviction against the former president or his former officials.
Call to unity
Faced with this landscape, the former president urged his supporters not to succumb to fear. Petro emphasized that disinformation and fear are tools used to paralyze society and control the country’s natural resources. In his final message, he called for the construction of a great citizen alliance, ensuring that his current focus is to strengthen progressivism in the face of what he calls a new stage of political confrontation in Colombia.
