BOGOTA, Colombia/ANKARA

Colombia’s National Electoral Council (CNE) has imposed administrative fines on President Gustavo Petro’s political party for exceeding spending limits and receiving unauthorized funds during the 2022 presidential election campaign, local media outlets said on Friday.

The CNE determined that Petro’s party violated legal financing rules in both the first and second rounds of the election, according to local media reports.

The political party Colombia Humana, along with Union Patriotica (UP), was fined approximately $155,000 for surpassing legal campaign spending thresholds and accepting funds from prohibited sources.

The CNE also fined Petro’s former campaign manager and current Ecopetrol head Ricardo Roa, as well as campaign financial officers and auditors, a combined $1.5 million for their role in the violations.

Petro rejects accusations, calls ruling politically motivated

Responding through US social media company X, President Petro defended the integrity of his campaign and criticized the electoral authority’s decision.

“I did not receive a single peso from drug-related sources,” he said. “I ran a clean and transparent campaign without deception. Now the oligarchy and mafias are trying to reclaim power through manipulation.”

Petro accused one of the CNE members of being a lawyer for his 2022 election rival Medellin Mayor Federico “Fico” Gutierrez, suggesting a conflict of interest in the council’s ruling.

Referring to the upcoming 2026 elections, Petro added: “With our commitment to honor and the defense of democracy and universal rights, we do not accept being judged and fraudulently sanctioned by the paid lawyer of an opposition figure like Fico.”

“The only positive outcome of this investigation is that the opposition found no link to drug trafficking or illegal donations in my campaign,” he noted.

He concluded: “The people will decide: will the country return to paramilitary rule, or will it move toward a Colombia free of mafias and injustice?”

1st fine of its kind in Colombia's presidential election history

This marks the first time a Colombian presidential campaign has received a penalty for financing violations, setting a significant legal and political precedent.

Observers say the ruling deals a major blow to the leftist bloc and opposition parties ahead of the 2026 elections.

Experts also warn that such sanctions may hinder political alliances and coordinated campaigning.

While some opposition figures have called for Petro’s resignation over alleged corruption, his supporters view the penalties as part of a broader effort to exert political pressure on the president.