Colombian President Petro denies allegation of drug use

25/4/2025 6:28

Colombian President Gustavo

Petro said that accusations by his former foreign minister that

he is a drug addict are slander, after the ex-official published

a letter recounting an incident he alleges took place in France.



Alvaro Leyva, who was foreign minister for nearly two years

until May 2024, said in a lengthy public letter posted on X on

Wednesday that Petro had "disappeared" for two days during an

official visit to France in 2023. The letter also alleged that

the president has "a drug addiction problem."



Leyva provided no evidence to support his claims and did not

immediately respond to a request for comment.



Reuters has no independent information corroborating the

accusations.



"Put simply, I've been slandered," Petro said on X late on

Wednesday, adding in a separate post that during the 2023 visit

he had been spending time with his eldest daughter and her

family, who live in France.



Petro's daughter, Andrea, also posted on X, saying he had

been with her family.



Petro's office did not immediately respond to a message

seeking further comment.



Leyva, an 82-year-old conservative, was appointed by leftist

Petro when he took office in August 2022 and said in his letter

that he felt the president's ability to govern was being

affected by several ongoing situations, including what he said

was Petro's use of his speeches to "incite a class war."



Colombia's former justice minister, Wilson Ruiz, said on

Wednesday he had asked the investigative committee of the lower

house to look in to Petro's mental and physical health because

of the alleged drug use.



Contact information for Ruiz was not immediately available.