US revokes visas for former Colombian congressmen

The United States government has revoked the visas of former Colombian congressmen Andrés Calle and Eduardo Pulgar due to their involvement in corruption proceedings.

Andrés Calle, a former president of the House of Representatives, is currently detained at La Picota prison. He faces charges of improper bribery and embezzlement related to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), with allegations that he received approximately 1,000 million pesos to support the administration of former president Gustavo Petro in Congress.

Eduardo Pulgar was convicted of influence peddling and bribery following an attempt to bribe a judge in Usiacurí to benefit an ally in a dispute over the control of the Universidad Metropolitana de Barranquilla.

The decision by Washington follows requests made by the current Colombian president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who had previously called for such measures against individuals linked to corrupt practices and vote-buying. Meanwhile, former president Gustavo Petro has made public statements defending his administration's economic record, specifically citing reductions in external debt and investments in Colombian culture.