BOGOTA: Nicolas Petro, son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, has been arrested as part of an investigation into money laundering and illicit enrichment, the attorney general’s office said early on Saturday.

The younger Petro, a politician in Atlantico province, had welcomed the investigation when it began in March and has previously called accusations that he took money from drug traffickers in exchange for including them in his father’s peace efforts unfounded.

Also arrested was Nicolas’ ex-wife Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, who earlier this year told local media that two people accused of involvement with drug trafficking had given Nicolas money for his father’s campaign, among other alleged acts of corruption.

Petro said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, that it was painful for one of his children to be jailed, but that the attorney general’s office had all guarantees to proceed according to the law.