Colombia confronts legal challenges against President Gustavo Petro and Ecopetrol chief Ricardo Roa

In Colombia, a member of the lower‑house investigation commission, Representative Gloria Arizabaleta, issued a precautionary suspension order against President Gustavo Petro. The move, grounded in article 217 of Law 1952, seeks to remove the president from office until 21 June, but constitutional experts argue that only a full Senate impeachment can suspend a sitting president, casting doubt on the commission’s authority.

Separately, the nation’s prosecutor has filed formal charges against Ricardo Roa, the acting president of state‑owned oil firm Ecopetrol, accusing him of influence‑peddling in the purchase of a luxury Bogotá apartment. Investigators allege that Roa obtained a discount of roughly 927 million pesos through intermediary Juan Guillermo Mancera and that he later used his position to benefit the businessman in a gas‑regasification project in La Guajira. A judge will determine whether the evidence warrants a criminal trial.