San Salvador. The President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, has urged “fake tourists” with Colombian citizenship to leave the country immediately, “because our prisons are waiting for them”. With these words, Bukele was aiming at a criminal money laundering network that is believed to have been set up primarily by Colombian drug dealers.
The Salvadoran media recently reported the investigations and arrests related to the “gota a gota” (drop by drop) system allegedly organized by Colombian gangs to launder drug money and fraudulent deals in the Central American country.
According to the investigation, a money laundering structure developed in Colombia in 1998 has already spread throughout Latin America. The system arrived in El Salvador between 2013 and 2014 and is said to be used by circles linked to drug trafficking and other criminal activities from Mexico to Chile.
The “gota a gota” method is characterized by the fact that it is relatively easy to extend since there is no formal procedure and documentation as with financial institutions. It’s in high demand among people who want a quick and easy solution to their money problems, but who also find themselves under pressure when they can’t pay back the high-interest “loans.”
It is estimated that around 400 Colombian “fake tourists” are in the country. According to the Attorney General’s Office, 105 Colombians, two Guatemalans, one Argentine and two Salvadorans were arrested in a first action in the last few days. Authorities confiscated cash, motor vehicles, mobile phones and computers.
The El Salvador Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Colombian consulate in El Salvador has been informed of the location where 63 Colombians are being held who are alleged to have illegally lent money at high interest rates and also defrauded Colombian citizens. The detainees are regularly visited by their country’s consular officials to check their legal status and to provide assistance to others.
The issue has now become a political issue, with the media accusing previous governments of having ignored these criminal structures. In addition, Bukele formulated with his Tweets indirectly a challenge to his Colombian colleague Gustavo Petro, who recently expressed sharp criticism of the methods used to fight crime in El Salvador (america21 reported).
The Peruvian newspaper La República calls it “it is worth noting that the Colombian authorities have not yet responded,” despite the fact that criminal organizations at international level have been hit hard.