This Friday, the President Gustavo Petro was included in the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons, or Clinton Listof the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) of the United States government, along with his wife, the first lady Verónica Alcocer, his eldest son, the former deputy of Atlántico Nicolás Petro Burgos and the Minister of the Interior Armando Benedetti.
According to the OFAC statement, the designation was made because “President Petro has granted benefits to narcoterrorist organizations under the auspices of his ‘total peace’ plan, among other policies, which has led to record levels of coca cultivation and cocaine production in Colombia”.
(You can read: The US officially includes President Gustavo Petro on the Clinton List).
The president highlighted in his X account: “Indeed, Bernie Moreno’s threat was fulfilled, I and my children and my wife entered the Ofac list. My lawyer in my defense will be Dany Kovalik from the USA.”.
Consequences for those involved
The measure brings with it several immediate consequences. First of all, “All property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. citizens are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.”says the office.
This means that the, with the inclusion, the head of state “would lose any access to the financial system inside and outside the United States”, as well as with the first lady, the former deputy of the Atlantic and the Minister of the Interior.
(You may be interested in: ‘The threat was fulfilled’: Petro on his inclusion on the Clinton list).
bank accounts
“Any entity that is owned, directly or indirectly, individually or collectively, 50% or more, by one or more blocked persons is also blocked. Unless expressly authorized by a general or specific license issued by Ofac, or exemption, Ofac regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. citizens or within (or transiting) the United States that involve property or interests in property of blocked persons.“added OFAC.
In addition, Each sanctioned person could face secondary checks at points of entry to the United States and be associated with ‘no fly’ lists of US airlines..
(Further: The United States makes official the suspension of financial aid to Colombia).
If the aforementioned is not fulfilled, “may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on US citizens and foreigners“.
In the specific case of President Petro, the sanctioning effects and implications are greater, since the head of state “would lose any access to the financial system inside and outside the United States“, as highlighted in the statement from the office attached to the Treasury Department.
PORTFOLIO
