MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombia: Petro under probe over campaign finances

“The coup d'état has begun,” Petro claimed

Colombian electoral authorities announced Tuesday that they were launching an inquiry against President Gustavo Petro for allegedly overstepping campaign financing caps in 2022 en route to the Casa de Nariño. The head of state replied -once again- that a coup d'état was boiling up.

According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), irregularities were detected regarding air travel expenditures by Petro and several of his campaign associates who are believed to have crossed the US$ 925,000 barrier in local money.

In addition, possible links with the outlaw company DailyCop are under investigation. If these suspicions are confirmed, the Historic Pact political party supporting Petro would face sanctions from fines to loss of its legal status.

CNE Chairman César Lorduy said that Petro's position as president was in no way at stake. However, some inconsistencies in the documentation of the flights used by Petro and his team have been detected, in addition to the absence of necessary permits. A possible connection to DailyCop which presumably funded these trips is also under probe, as is the omission to report campaign contributions into the Cuentas Claras application as specified by law, such as the one from the teachers' union Fecode and the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO).

Petro insisted the investigation was part of a smear campaign against him and underlined his commitment to transparency and legality. He also pledged to cooperate with the CNE's scrutiny.

“The coup d'état has begun,” claimed Petro on X. Then, he insisted on his WhatsApp channel that his jurisdiction as President was being violated. “The CNE can never, nor has the power to investigate the President of the Republic. This is the beginning of the Coup d'Etat. The integral presidential jurisdiction has been violated and the rule of law and respect for the popular vote and democracy has been broken,” he added.

(See also: Petro says there are plans to overthrow him in the next three months - MercoPress)