Gustavo Petro, whose term as President of Colombia ended in August, is being investigated over allegations he exchanged government contracts for sex.
The allegations surfaced when Deicy Jiménez, a 26-year-old sex worker, went to the press accusing the ex-president of offering contracts to as many as 40 women during his time as a senator and later as head of state.
Petro denied the claims, calling them politically motivated, and pledged to defend himself in the courts, while Jiménez has published purported evidence of their affair, including a video of her with the ex-president.
The explosive allegations first came to light last week when Jiménez gave an interview to Colombian magazine Semana, alleging she was part of a network of between 30 and 40 women who received contracts in exchange for sexual favors, procuring drugs, and accompanying Petro to parties.
“I don’t agree with the abuse of power that took place during Gustavo Petro’s administration; he used young women for his own personal gain in exchange for contracts. I don’t agree with that,” she told Semana.
The sex worker allegedly met Petro in 2019, when he was a senator, on an adult website and later received government contracts in exchange for her silence and company.
Jiménez has published evidence of contracts beginning in 2023, when Petro was president, from multiple sectors of government, including the Senate of the Republic, the Ministry of Interior, and the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic. But her lawyers say she received as many as ten contracts between 2021 and 2026.
Today, Jiménez shared a screenshot purporting to show a chat with Petro in which he asks for her contract with the Ministry of the Interior to be renewed.
She also testified before the prosecutor’s office today and handed in her phone to be reviewed for evidence. Last week, Jiménez appeared before the Supreme Court to denounce the former president.
Petro denies the allegations, writing on X: “I never used a government contract to obtain favors from anyone. The women who worked in my administration were chosen for their abilities and hard work, and they don’t deserve to have their names dragged through the mud just to attack me.”
In another bombshell revelation, Jiménez shared a 55-second video on Wednesday showing her with Petro in a private room. The former president can be seen stroking the back of her head and kissing her on the cheek.
But Petro maintained that the video does not prove corruption: “No one yet knows when it was created, where it came from, or what it actually shows. The only thing that is certain is that there is no corruption involved: there is no contract, no payment, and no government decision.”
He also called for restraint from the media, insisting that he will defend his innocence in court.
“The media trials always come before the court trials. This is yet another [attack against me], and I will face it like the others: before the judges and with the truth,” wrote the former president.
This is not the first time Petro has been accused of abusing his power: an investigation by Colombian news outlet La Silla Vacia published in May revealed how a woman with ties to the ex-president enriched herself during his tenure in office.
The allegations have fuelled a feeding frenzy from Petro’s opponents. The right-wing Salvación Nacional (National Salvation) party affiliated with President Abelardo de la Espriella has formally denounced Petro and called for a congressional investigation.
Though legislators cannot impeach Petro, who does not hold a seat in congress, they can declare him “unfit due to misconduct”.
Despite not holding public office, Petro remains the father of the Colombian left and is the President of the Pacto Histórico (Historic Pact), the country’s main opposition party.
The leader of the opposition, Senator Iván Cepeda, today issued a statement saying the party does not tolerate any form of corruption.
“One of the fundamental ethical and political principles shared by all those who are members of and lead the Pacto Histórico is the duty to manage public resources and government contracting in a scrupulous, responsible, and transparent manner,” he wrote on X.
The senator, a close Petro ally who ran to replace him in this year’s presidential election, called on the public to respect due process.
“Gustavo Petro Urrego has made it perfectly clear regarding his situation: he is willing to appear before the courts and tell the truth.”
