Monday, July 31, 2023

The other president with a son problem


 (My new American Thinker post)

We've heard a lot about Hunter Biden.  Let me tell you about Nicolas Petro, the son of Colombia's President Gustavo Petro.  This is the story:    

The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been arrested for money laundering and illicit enrichment by the country's attorney general.

Nicolas Petro, a politician in Atlantico province, was detained over allegations he was paid by drug traffickers to fund his father's peace efforts and election campaign.

He has denied the claims and welcomed the inquiry when it was launched.  The younger Mr Petro's ex-wife has also been arrested as part of the probe.

President Petro, the country's first left-wing leader, has denied taking money from Colombia's drug traffickers and ordered prosecutors to investigate his son in March.

Writing on social media on Saturday, he said it was painful for one of his children to be sent to prison, but also that he would not interfere with the investigation.  

"To my son I wish luck and strength. May these occurrences forge his character and may he reflect about his own errors," Petro said.

President Petro's comments suggest that he thinks that his son did something wrong. Otherwise, why would he say that he should "reflect about his own errors"?

According to news reports, the controversy stems from large amounts of money allegedly paid by drug cartels to his father's presidential campaign last year.  As you may remember, Mr. Petro won a contested and very close election.

As I told my Colombian friend on Sunday morning, I expect this kind of scandal in Latin America.  I don't expect it in the U.S. when justice is politicized as we see with AG Merrick Garland.  My friend added that this move against the younger Petro is further evidence that the Colombian president's political position has weakened a lot in recent months.

We will watch Hunter and Nicolas and see what happens next.

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