The Prosecutor's Office of Colombia has launched an investigation into former Colombian president Gustavo Petro following the dissemination of journalistic information that claims the former president would have signed more than 40 contracts with women in exchange for sexual favors.
According to what the magazine 'Semana' has reported, the Public Ministry is already working to "establish the timeline" of what happened, although for now the institution has not issued any official statement or additional details about the ongoing investigations.
The alleged events would have occurred between August 2022 and April 2023, a period during which Mauricio Lizcano served as director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (Dapre).
The revelation was made known on Sunday by journalist Vicky Dávila in the magazine 'Semana', which includes the testimony of a public official identified as Deicy Jiménez, 26 years old. From her statements, the existence of an alleged network of "instrumentalized" and "tied" women, among them herself, emerges, with the aim of providing sexual services to then-president Petro.
Petro himself has responded to these accusations through a statement in which he denounces a "coordinated attempt" of "interference" in his intimate and sexual life, which, he claims, would be financed by sectors aligned with the current Colombian president, Abelardo de la Espriella.
"I have never delivered a contract in exchange for obtaining sexual relations. I would vomit on myself if I ever did something like that. In my personal life, I have not subjected any woman. I have always placed freedom as a fundamental principle of my relationships. I have never forced anyone," he stated.
In his defense, the former president has highlighted his social policies aimed at supporting vulnerable groups through transparent institutional programs. "Helping poor women, single mothers, and those who engage in sex work, so that they have different life options, as I have demonstrated in public administration through concrete and funded programs, is something very different from delivering contracts in exchange for sexual relations. Never will a person who has participated in those public programs be able to say that I have done something like that," he emphasized.
Petro has also taken the opportunity to assert his conception of sexuality, which, as he explains, is based on freedom and respect for the rights of others. "I have never used public power to obtain sex, although I know what power can provoke," he has emphasized.
For its part, the legal team of the former head of state, led by lawyer Alejandro Carranza, has announced that it will file legal actions against the magazine and against journalist Vicky Dávila for the alleged crimes of defamation and slander.