Former Colombian President Denies Exploiting Women for Parties

Former Colombian President Gustavo Petro has denied accusations that his administration systematically exploited 48 women by using public contracts to facilitate presidential parties and secure sexual favors. Carlos Andrés Ríos, director of Colombia’s Administrative Department of the Presidency (DAPRE), claimed during a congressional hearing that Petro oversaw a system which channeled public salaries in exchange for intimate relationships.

"We are going to prove to the Colombian people how the Casa de Nariño was unfortunately set up, organized, and tailored for something completely different — not to govern, but to party there every single day, bring in women," Ríos stated.

Petro responded to the allegations on Sunday, asserting through a statement on X that he has never exchanged public contracts for sexual relations. "I would vomit on myself if I ever did such a thing," he said. He clarified that while his office provided state-funded aid programs for vulnerable women, this is distinct from offering contracts for sexual favors. "No person who has participated in those public programs will ever be able to say that I have done anything of the sort," Petro added.

He also acknowledged having visited establishments where sex work occurred in his youth, expressing regret and stating he ceased such visits decades ago. "When I was very young, I occasionally visited places where sex work was practiced. There, I experienced that paying for sex felt dirty to me, and I perceived the sadness of the men and women who attended those places. That is why I stopped visiting them decades ago," Petro said.

The accusations surface amid ongoing criticism of Petro concerning alleged misuse of public funds, budget depletion, and drug trafficking. Petro has dismissed these claims as politically motivated attacks, citing figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella. "After attempting to portray me as corrupt and a drug trafficker — an intention expressed by people like Abelardo de la Espriella and Donald Trump, without being able to present a single piece of evidence of corruption or drug trafficking, because I have never stolen a single peso from the public treasury and I have fought for over two decades against drug traffickers, exposing their political ties," Petro stated.