A case worthy of series
In recent weeks, the discreet Sarabia has gained relevance with articles praising her management. “He is one of the youngest people here and one of those who has the most leadership in my country,” Petro told the OAS in the midst of protocol greetings after saying his name and with a proud smile.
However, this popularity and recognition earned through work has been marred this week by a case worthy of a television series and where the doubts and procedures recall practices harshly criticized in other governments and in obscure stages of the country.
Last Saturday it was learned from a publication in Semana magazine that Sarabia’s nanny, Marelbys Meza, was accused in January of stealing a briefcase with an unspecified amount of money. When the senior official learned of the theft, Meza was taken to the presidential palace facilities where she was interrogated and subjected to polygraph tests without a court order.
Until then, the scandal was due to the possible abuse of power by the State to try to clarify a particular matter, but her previous boss and the person who got her into politics entered the radar: the ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti, to who is credited with much of Petro’s electoral success.
Sarabia worked with Benedetti, exercising a role similar to that of now with Petro, but the president decided to stay with her, while Benedetti -a political wolf who does not have the best ethical reputation- he sent to Caracas.
A report by journalist Daniel Coronell says that Benedetti got tired and tried to ask his former employee for a position with more power, whom he also “transferred” to Meza as a babysitter.
The story took a new turn when this Thursday the magazine Cambio revealed that Meza was not only interrogated without a warrant but also that her phone was intercepted by the Police, who used as a front an operation against the criminal gang Clan del Golfo in the department of collided.