MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombian President says CIA wants to oust him

Petro claimed that those seeking to overthrow him supported Pinochet and Videla back in the day

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday accused the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of plotting to destabilize his government.

The country's first-ever leftwing head of State said the agency was behind recent reports that link high-ranking security officials to FARC dissidents commanded by alias Calarcá (Alexánder Mendoza).

Petro claimed that the CIA “has a habit of setting up networks to affect public opinion according to the interests of the Government of their country” and suggested the CIA was working to destabilize his administration.

The President specifically mentioned a Radio Caracol report implicating Army General Juan Miguel Huertas and National Intelligence Directorate (DNI) official Wilmar Mejía in a scheme to favor Calarcá's gang.

Petro staunchly defended the officials. “I can affirm that the versions of supposed Intelligence reports about Huertas and Wimer are false,” Petro stressed. “Caracol has committed several 'errors' of this magnitude” in the past, he added, noting that he had previously received “reports of corrupt officials” from the US agency, including a past mention of General Huertas, but eventually found that information to be inaccurate.

The President also explained that the initial CIA information he received actually involved an operation against the ELN guerrilla group, not the FARC dissidents, concluding that the CIA itself can be “deceived.”

According to Petro's theory, high levels of corruption fueled by drug trafficking cause many within the armed forces to misuse state resources to target those who genuinely threaten their criminal activities. Huertas and Mejía have helped “identify” rogue Army officers.

Petro further speculated noted both drug traffickers seeking to recover their businesses and high-level US leaders driven by “old hatreds against the Cuban revolution that they ignorantly extend to all Latin American progressivism and lead them to return to the time when they supported [Chilean dictator Augusto] Pinochet and [Argentina's Jorge Rafael] Videla, who unleashed so much pain on our continent,” were seeking to remove him from power.

He also hoped that US President Donald Trump realized that the intelligence reports he receives are coming from the “same drug trafficking” elements.

In this scenario, Colombia's Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo has launched a broader investigation based on Caracol's work, including an alleged conversation among guerrillas about Petro's presidential campaign.

General Huertas “categorically” denied any relationship with 'Calarcá' or any other armed group, stating the disseminated assertions lack verifiable support.

“The only thing presented is a supposed WhatsApp message said by a delinquent using my name to give himself importance with other delinquents,” Vice President Francia Márquez, who was reportedly mentioned in the audio as a supposed intermediary, told local media.

Calarcá commands the Jorge Briceño block of the dissident FARC-EMC faction, said to be seeking a negotiated peace with the government.