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Un teléfono con una red social difuminada junto a un expediente y un mazo judicial en un escritorio
La controversia en redes pasa a la vía judicial: Petro pidió a su abogado actuar contra el usuario que lo acusó. · Imagen generada para Erick Prometeo Media

Petro announces legal action against social media user who accused him

Former president Gustavo Petro announced that he asked his lawyer Alejandro Carranza to initiate legal action against a user who accused him on social media.

--- The context --- Former president Gustavo Petro faces a controversy over allegations linking him to the alleged granting of state contracts in exchange for sexual favors. The best-known accuser is former official Deicy Jiménez, who maintains that the then president provided alleged contracts in exchange for maintaining a relationship. Jiménez published a video on her social media accounts that she presented as proof of her allegations. Its release triggered an avalanche of criticism against the former head of the executive branch and moved the debate online before any judicial assessment of the attributed material. --- The facts --- On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Petro announced that he had asked his lawyer, Alejandro Carranza, to initiate legal action against a social media user, with the profile name Russy Millán, who called him a rapist in an offensive message, in reply to an earlier post by the former president about feminism and women's rights. The former president denied non-consensual sexual relations and maintained that all of his have been consensual. He stated that he never used a state contract for favors and that he will answer the allegations through the courts. The user replied minutes later: he reiterated his accusation, stated that he will not retract it, recalled an earlier exchange of warnings, and said that the lawyer has already reported him, so he awaits the formal charges and the trial. --- The positions --- For Petro and his defense, the complaints must be discussed before judicial authorities and not on social media. After the intimate video attributed to Petro and Jiménez circulated, Carranza maintained that the material requires a technical assessment of authenticity, date, integrity, origin, and context, and that the defense will not discuss the private life of those involved. Former magistrate Jaime Arrubla Paucar explained that the competent authority depends on whether the facts are directly related to the exercise of the presidency. If they are linked to presidential functions or public resources, an impeachment-style proceeding could open before Congress, with the Chamber's Investigation and Accusation Commission as the initial body; without that link, the case would fall to the Attorney General's Office and ordinary courts. Nothing replaces judicial analysis of messages, videos, or testimony. --- What remains unknown --- No technical assessment of the attributed video's authenticity exists yet, nor is it known which authority will first examine the allegations. The scope of the announced legal action against the user and the timeline for any formal charges also remain unclear. --- Unanswered questions --- Which authority will take the case depending on the link between the facts and the exercise of the presidency? What will the expert examinations conclude about the authenticity, date, and context of the released video? Will the legal action against the user reach formal charges? --- EPM analysis --- From a progressive standpoint, the point is twofold: anyone who reports wrongdoing deserves to be heard and protected, and anyone accused keeps the presumption of innocence until a judge decides. The allegations are serious because they would involve public resources: they are not settled by trends or insults, but by serious investigation and verifiable expert examinations. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, this case requires separating three planes that social media tends to blur: the allegations of a former official, the judicial response announced by the former president, and the technical assessment of the evidence. No post replaces a judge, and no accusation is proven by repetition. The presumption of innocence protects every party, including the accuser, whose testimony deserves serious examination. The sound path is a case file advancing with verifiable expert work and reasoned decisions.
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