**Colombia's President Gustavo Petro Under Investigation in US for Drug Ties** Colombia's President Gustavo Petro is facing two separate criminal investigations led by prosecutors in the United States. According to reports by _The New York Times_, the investigations focus on drug-smuggling in Latin America, and while Petro is not personally the target, the probes are looking into whether he met with drug traffickers and solicited donations from them for his 2022 presidential campaign. Petro has denied the claims, stating that he has never spoken with a drug trafficker and instructed his campaign managers to never accept donations from such individuals. In a statement on the social media platform X, he wrote, "In Colombia, there is not a single investigation into my relationship with drug traffickers, for one simple reason: I have never in my life spoken with a drug trafficker." He added that the investigations in the US would ultimately exonerate him and blamed Colombia's right-wing opposition for stirring controversy. The investigations are in their initial stages, and Petro has not been charged with any crimes. The probes are being led by US attorneys in Brooklyn and Manhattan. According to _The New York Times_, the investigations are looking into whether Petro solicited donations from drug traffickers during his 2022 presidential campaign. The timing of the report is significant, as it comes barely two and a half months before Colombia is set to hold a closely watched presidential election on May 31. Experts say the report could influence the outcome of the election. Sergio Guzman, director at Colombia Risk Analysis, a security think tank, stated, "If this would have happened a week before the first round, it would be election interference. This seems to be more of a warning that shows how the US could influence the outcome of the election." Petro's election is likely to be a referendum on his four years in office as Colombia's first left-wing president. He is limited to a single term in office, and the election will also be a test for his Historic Pact coalition, whose candidate, Ivan Cepeda, is currently leading in the polls. The controversy surrounding Petro's presidency has been exacerbated by his feud with United States President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly sought to boost the prospects of right-wing candidates in Latin America, and the two leaders have been at loggerheads since Trump returned to office in January 2025. Their feud came to a head in January after the US attacked Venezuela and abducted its president, Nicolas Maduro.