International

Gustavo Petro asks for investigation of his son due to rumors of possible bribes

Photo: Colprensa

March 3rd |

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, on Thursday asked the Attorney General’s Office to investigate his eldest son, Nicolás Petro Burgos, to clarify rumors that point to alleged bribes from drug traffickers and prisoners, in exchange for including them in the policy of total peace, adopted by the current government.

The request also covers his brother, Juan Fernando Petro Urrego, who had already been summoned in early February by the Attorney General’s Office to explain his dealings with some drug traffickers held in prisons in the country. During a hearing, Juan Fernando asked to be recognized as a victim of the case because, he argued, his name is being used to achieve illegal approaches.

“Due to the information that is rumored in the public opinion about my brother Juan Fernando Petro Urrego and my eldest son Nicolás Petro Burgos, I ask the Attorney General of the Nation to advance all the necessary investigations and determine possible responsibilities”, said Petro, through a statement.

The president recalled, through the letter, that the only official delegated by the government to contact the illegal organizations, “with the sole objective of the search for peace”, is the High Commissioner for Peace, Danilo Rueda.

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Petro also clarified that his government will not “deliver benefits to criminals in exchange for bribes” and that it is “in the construction of legal mechanisms so that the illegal groups can be brought to justice, make reparations to the victims and cease violence in the territories”.

He also warned that if someone wants to interfere with achieving peace, in exchange for some personal benefit, “they have no place in the government”, even if they are his relatives, but that he trusts that his son and brother will prove their innocence and that he will respect the conclusions of the justice system.

At the beginning of February, the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace denounced that lawyers offered deceitful services to some prisoners to include them in an eventual submission to justice, within the framework of the policy of total peace.

Later on Thursday, Nicolás Petro’s ex-wife, Days Vásquez, assured to Semana that the eldest son of the Colombian president received money for his father’s presidential campaign from Santander Lopesierra, known as ‘the Malboro man’ and who was convicted for drug trafficking, and from Alfonso ‘el Turco Hilsaca’, investigated for links with paramilitaries. However, he clarified that the president is unaware of these facts.

“Nicolás received money from that gentleman, more than 600 million for his father’s campaign. That never legally reached the campaign because he kept that money and others. To a gentleman from Cartagena, ‘El Turco Hilsaca’, I think his name is; he also received him in my apartment”, said Vásquez to the publication.

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In response to the statements, the president’s son requested, through a statement, “an investigation for clarification and protection” of his “honor and good name”.

Regarding the link with ‘the Malboro man’ and ‘el Turco Hilsaca’, he assured that he does not know them and stressed: “I have not had any dealings, nor have I received any kind of support either directly or indirectly”.

In the same document, he reiterated his father’s request to the Prosecutor’s Office to advance the investigation related to the alleged bribes, but clarified that “neither before, nor during, nor after the presidential campaign” he has “been linked to anything related to ‘total peace’”.

“I have not met, nor have I received any type of political, personal or economic favor from any questionable character”, he pointed out.

Nicolás Petro informed that, in both cases, he will take legal actions and will make himself available to the Prosecutor’s Office for whatever is required to ratify, according to him, his “innocence” in the face of what he called “political and personal attacks” that seek to “destroy” his political work.

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International

Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza

Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.

Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.

“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.

Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”

Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..

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“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”

She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.

Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.

International

Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions

Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.

“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.

The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.

Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.

The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.

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International

Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.

Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.

“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”

The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.

He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.

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“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.

So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.

Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.

Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.