Nicolas Petro, son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, was arrested early on Saturday as part of a money laundering and illicit enrichment investigation, according to the attorney general’s office.
A politician in Atlantico province, Nicolas had welcomed the investigation’s start in March and denied accusations of receiving money from drug traffickers for his father’s peace efforts.
Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, Nicolas’ ex-wife, was also arrested on money laundering and personal data violation charges. She previously claimed that individuals linked to drug trafficking had given money to Nicolas for his father’s campaign.
In response to the arrests, President Petro expressed his pain at seeing one of his children jailed but emphasized that he wouldn’t interfere with the legal process.
During his tenure, the President has aimed to achieve peace and surrender agreements with rebels and crime gangs to end Colombia’s long-standing internal conflict, which has resulted in significant casualties.
Efforts to negotiate with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group have resulted in a planned ceasefire beginning in August, but talks with the Clan del Golfo crime gang have faced challenges due to ongoing violence.
The attorney general’s office will request that Nicolas Petro and Vasquez be held on the charges, seeking to formulate charges for the alleged crimes and implement liberty restriction measures. The arrests took place at 6 a.m. local time (1100 GMT).
