All this without including “household expenses”.
Living in a 2,500 million pesos (about 522,000 dollars) penthouse, the purchase of expensive jewelry and bank withdrawals of large sums of cash are some of the luxuries of Colombian congressman Nicolás Petro, son of President Gustavo Petro, and to whom his ex-wife accuses of having received money from a drug dealer.
This was revealed this Sunday by Cambio magazine, which in a report pointed out that the president’s eldest son “leads a lifestyle that does not seem to correspond to his income as a Deputy to the Atlantic Assembly.”
According to the investigation, which published a bank statement of the politician, in December, Nicolás Petro had expenses that included purchases in a jewelry store and brand clothing, cosmetic treatments, restaurants and millionaire payments in hotels in Barranquilla, capital of the Caribbean department of Atlántico.
“In the extract from last December, it is stated that, from that account, Nicolás spent more than 40 million pesos (about 8,300 dollars) and still kept a balance of more than 70 million (about 14,600 dollars). It should be noted that no lease or mortgage payments, vehicle fees or public services came from that account and only one supermarket purchase appears, “added Cambio.
The Petro case
The scandal broke last Thursday when the Colombian President published a statement referring to “information that is rumored in public opinion” about his brother Juan Fernando Petro Urrego and his eldest son, Nicolás Petro Burgos, for which he asked the Attorney General of the Nation, Francisco Barbosa, “to carry out all the necessary investigations and determine possible responsibilities.”
Petro made reference to alleged meetings in prisons where, according to some versions, people around him would be posing as members of the Government to contact criminals and offer their inclusion in the “total peace” program in exchange for money, a suspicion that falls on his brother, but to which his son was not linked.
However, hours later, Day Vásquez, ex-wife of Nicolás Petro, in an interview with Semana magazine, accused the President’s eldest son of having received money from drug trafficker Samuel Santander Lopesierra, alias “The Marlboro Man”, for the presidential campaign of his father who, however, never reached that destination.
“That never legally reached the campaign because he (Nicolás) kept that money, and so did others,” said Vásquez, who assured that Lopesierra gave Petro’s son “more than 600 million pesos (about 124,700 dollars today) for the father’s campaign” and who also received 200 million pesos (about $41,500) from businessman Alfonso “Turco” Hilsaca that did not enter the campaign either.
Likewise, Semana magazine published Petro’s “chats” with Vásquez in which the politician talks about how he met with some members of his father’s cabinet such as the Minister of the Interior, Alfonso Prada, who supposedly gave him “10 places” in that portfolio so that relatives and friends of the president’s son could work there.
Resignation to participate in politics
Faced with everything that has happened these days, Petro Burgos decided this Sunday “to refrain from participating in any type of political activity related to the upcoming electoral contest”, in reference to the local and regional elections in October in which it was rumored that it was going to be candidate for mayor of Barranquilla.
“I also give a step aside to the processes of Human Colombia, the Historical Pact (movements that propelled Petro to the Presidency) and the campaign of Máximo Noriega to the Governor of the Atlantic until I ratify my innocence,” he added.
Faced with the publication of Cambio, the deputy said that “the money in question does not come from the mafia, nor from corruption, nor from any illegal activity.”
“I will corroborate that in court accordingly. I inform journalists and the media that violating my space of residence, without authorization or prior conversation, borders on harassment, “he said.
This is in reference to the fact that the journalist Juliana Ramírez, from Cambio, arrived at the house where the politician lives and they allowed her entry after announcing herself. The reporter only lasted a few minutes in the house until she left at the request of Nicolás Petro.
EFE