Colombian Prosecutor's Office denies pressure claims in Nicolás Petro case

Former prosecutor Lucy Laborde has accused Colombia’s Attorney General, Luz Adriana Camargo, of attempting to influence the investigation into Nicolás Petro, son of President Gustavo Petro. Laborde claims that during a meeting in September 2024, Camargo suggested removing money laundering charges from the indictment, proposing instead to only include illicit enrichment.

Laborde alleged that the suggestion was made to avoid placing Nicolás Petro on the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list. She further stated that after refusing to negotiate the charges, she was removed from the investigation and transferred to Barranquilla.

The Attorney General’s Office has issued a formal denial, stating that no orders were given to eliminate crimes and that no coercion took place. The entity maintained that the meeting in question was a standard exercise of the Attorney General's authority to review defense requests for legal reclassification. The office also clarified that Laborde’s departure from the institution was due to her meeting requirements for retirement rather than her involvement in the Nicolás Petro case.