The private chat of co-owners of the exclusive Arboretto Bosque Residencial complex, located in the municipality of La Calera, north of Bogotá, is flooded with messages about the recent visits of former president Gustavo Petro to the place in search of one of the properties that are for sale, whose prices exceed 2.5 billion pesos.
Last Monday, the colleague network Blu Radio published that one of the recent photos taken by the former president and uploaded to his social networks corresponds to one of the tours of the residences that have gardens, BBQ, three levels, and a fantastic view of the San Rafael reservoir. However, for several residents, the issue is even becoming a potential tutela action, arguing that whoever negotiates one of the properties could implicate the residential complex in a sanction by Ofac, the United States blacklist, on which the former president still remains.
The real estate broker
Sources close to the case told EL TIEMPO that the private chat claims that Petro did not go to see one but three houses in the same complex. And also, that a real estate broker linked to one of the properties is the one offering him the exclusive homes.
“I find it worrying that personal interest is placed above the community’s well-being”, said one of the residents.
And added that the circulating version is that if a deal is made, it would be under the name of someone close to Petro who has accompanied him to look at the properties.
“It is not understanding how these processes work worldwide. According to American law, it would be conspiracy to launder money“, reads one of the messages.
And in another, it is even proposed to file a tutela action: “Beyond the legal aspect, the comment is why he would seek to live in a complex of ‘white people’ as he called some sectors of society and how the cash payment that such a purchase would imply would be justified.”
And they add that the evidence that the process is not transparent, that they assured the buyer was Italian and who arrived was Petro. He has said in several settings that he has Italian citizenship, a country with which President Abelardo De La Espriella has closeness.
What do experts say?
EL TIEMPO consulted the Special Assets Society (SAE), if one of the candidate houses for sale is the one seized after the murder of the famous hairdresser Mauricio Leal. And they informed that it is currently rented out.
They also asked penalist Luis Valero, an expert in procedures before Ofac.
According to him, if the transaction is made through the banking and notarial system, an alert would immediately appear if the buyer is on the Ofac or Clinton list.
But Valero, without going into specifics, stated that for Ofac it would be a kind of sanction evasion trap, which would be noted if the person seeks to be removed from that registry.
For now, several residents of the area are on alert.
Petro’s version
Through his X account, President Gustavo Petro referred to the possible purchase of his new house.
“It is clear that the goal is to destroy a person and prevent them from enjoying their right to a pension and living peacefully. If a former president has divorced and retired from the presidency, it is normal that with his pension he rents what he considers a good place to live. Having a former president as a neighbor should be an opportunity; he could tell many things about Colombia and there would be many things to learn. Neighbors could really find out if what was said about him was true or false, nothing more and nothing less, and there would be many lessons to give, the neighbor could give many lessons about the problems that afflict Colombia, a section of Colombian history could even be made with those who want to know about a country,” said the former president.
And he added: “I like to walk among the trees and hear the birds, I almost always do it alone because I reflect and it is a good way to think, and a neighbor could see me reading, walking thoughtfully, and nothing more, thinking does not harm anyone and whoever wants to freely listen to me can talk to me and in dialogue new things are built“.
He also referred to his inclusion on the Clinton list: “Being arbitrarily put on the Ofac list for having defended that 22,000 children in Gaza not be killed does not make me a bad person. I defended life, which is the fundamental principle. At this moment I am building a house for myself because I already had one and due to divorce and the law I must sell it with my rights over it according to the law, thinking about a new house.”
He also assured that the payment would be made with money from his pension and other activities: “Since I leave with less wealth than I entered the Presidency, it is a contribution to a house that would have a higher value, but it is already a great contribution and I think I will be able to finish paying for my new house again, with royalties from my books, my pension, conferences that seem to be many, and I could think of something entrepreneurial but it would have to be related to life and beauty, on the idea that Colombia is the country of beauty where 12 million tourists came to see it during my Government.”
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And he added: “The Ofac list only prevents natural and legal persons from the United States from doing business with me. Any Colombian can do business with me and what Felipe Zuleta does is make people believe that the Ofac list prevents me from renting a house or traveling when in reality I can do it, because if the company or the owner of the house is not a person in the United States there is no problem (…)”
EL TIEMPO consulted about Petro’s pension issue, and, as has happened with the case of drug traffickers listed on Ofac, there would be no restriction. But the payment would have to be made in cash.
After EL TIEMPO’s publication, Petro assured on his social networks: “Ofac does not prevent me from renting a place to live if the owner is not a person from the US who rents, I will express myself (sic) legally against Mr. Felipe Zuleta and the owner of El Tiempo if they do not rectify this news.”
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
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