Weekly Report - 02 April 2026 (WR-26-13)

The New York Times (NYT) reported on 31 March that US officials have informed the Colombian government that President Gustavo Petro is not facing criminal charges in relation to drug trafficking investigations being carried out by prosecutors in New York. This follows a previous report published by the NYT on 20 March which stated that preliminary investigations were underway into Petro’s alleged connections with drug traffickers. The reports, coming just weeks ahead of Colombia’s presidential election on 31 May, have been an unwelcome distraction for Petro’s continuity candidate Iván Cepeda.