Colombian President Can’t Access Salary Due To US Sanctions, Says Lawyer

Colombian President Gustavo Petro is reportedly struggling to access his salary and bank accounts after the United States imposed sanctions on him, his family, and top officials, his lawyer told AFP on Thursday.

Petro, his wife, one of his sons, and Interior Minister Luis Fernando Velasco were recently placed on the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list by President Donald Trump’s administration. The move, Washington said, was due to Petro’s “failure to cooperate in efforts to curb drug trafficking.”

The sanctions freeze all assets held under US jurisdiction and prohibit American individuals or companies from conducting business with the listed names. Petro’s lawyer, Daniel Kovalik, said the financial restrictions have caused immediate disruptions to the president’s personal and official life.

“They’ve had their credit cards and bank accounts frozen. Even getting paid as public officials is now difficult,” Kovalik said, adding that a US-linked fuel provider in Spain also refused to refuel the presidential aircraft.

While Petro’s official salary has not been disclosed, Kovalik said efforts are underway to resolve the issue diplomatically. “You bring a case, and often it’s solved through negotiations or diplomacy. We are working on that through intermediaries,” he said.

He also confirmed plans to challenge the sanctions through US courts and the Treasury Department, though he acknowledged that the process “will be long and complicated.”

Kovalik maintained Petro’s innocence, describing him as a long-time opponent of Colombia’s drug cartels. “I’ve known Petro for 20 years — he’s fought narco groups his entire political career. These sanctions are not about drugs; they’re about punishing a leader who refuses to align with US foreign policy,” he claimed.

The lawyer warned that the sanctions could extend to other governments or firms that continue doing business with Petro’s administration. “This is a message to world leaders — if you don’t fall in line, you get punished,” Kovalik said.

Petro, a former guerrilla and Colombia’s first leftist president, has often clashed with Washington over US anti-narcotics policy and sanctions against Venezuela and Cuba. The Colombian government has not yet issued an official response to the lawyer’s claims.