In Colombia, the president’s eldest son, Nicolás Petro Burgos, has named a Barranquilla businessman and another financier in connection with alleged irregularities in campaign funding. The disclosures emerged during a preliminary inquiry by the Supreme Court into the financing of the 2022 campaign linked to the ruling Historical Pact. A court source confirmed to EFE that the sessions include testimony from the businessman Euclides Torres and Gustavo Peter, who was described as a key figure in the financing scheme. The probe was opened last October after Petro Burgos, who was arrested on unrelated charges, mentioned these names while cooperating with prosecutors.
Campaign connections involving Nicolás Petro Burgos and his father, the current president, have long been the subject of scrutiny. The Prosecutor General’s Office had already been examining Petro Burgos since March 2023. Earlier statements from Daysuris Vásquez, the ex-wife of Nicolás Petro Burgos, who later entered a cooperation agreement with investigators, alleged that funds from individuals with questionable backgrounds and ties to narcotics networks were used to support the 2022 presidential campaign. Prosecutors report that after his arrest, Nicolás Petro Burgos acknowledged receiving money linked to the campaigns of men associated with drug trafficking, including Samuel Santander Lopesierra and Gabriel Hilsaca Acosta, who is the son of a controversial businessman named Alfonso Hilsaca. The prosecutor’s office notes that some of these funds may have reached the president’s 2022 campaign, though officials say the president was not aware of these specifics at that time.
Nicolás Petro Burgos has distanced himself from the accusations and called for a thorough investigation. He also stated that the case should lead to personal reflection by those involved.
Reports from September reveal video footage showing the president’s son during an interview at the Prosecutor General’s Office. In the footage, the president described Euclides Torres, a Barranquilla businessman, as the person who financed the campaign. He claimed that this matter had been discussed on several occasions and that campaign financing discussions with Pedro Flórez occurred at events attended by both of them. The incident, which took place before the person in question was summoned for trial and before the cooperation with prosecutors ended, fueled further questions about how funding was arranged.
The official line states that the financing in question may be illegal because it was not reported to the National Electoral Council. Investigative reports by La Silla Vacía describe Euclides Torres as leading a group that handles public lighting concessions in multiple municipalities through organizations that some observers view as a cover for real financial activity. The evolving narrative continues to raise questions about the transparency and oversight of campaign financing in Colombia and how such funds move from private hands to public campaigns, especially when linked to powerful local business networks.