Álvaro Leyva, former Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs, has made public a letter asserting President Gustavo Petro’s drug addiction.
Joana Campos
The letter, published on Leyva’s X account on April 23, not only accuses Petro of using psychoactive substances but also details an incident in Paris in 2023 where the president allegedly disappeared for two days, presumably in search of narcotics.
This accusation, coming from a close ally who was once at the heart of the administration, has unleashed a political storm and raises a disturbing question: Can Colombia be led by someone whose ability to govern is in serious doubt?
On April 22, 2025, Álvaro Leyva, a veteran conservative politician who served as Petro’s foreign minister from August 2022 until May 2024, sent a letter to the president, which was officially received by the Presidency at 1:52 p.m.
In the four-page document, Leyva does not hold back in his criticism. He accuses Petro of erratic behavior, incoherent speeches, and a disconnect with his cabinet, but the most severe blow comes when he recounts an episode during an official visit to Paris in June 2023.
According to Leyva, Petro “disappeared” for two days, an incident he directly links to an alleged addiction problem. “It was in Paris where I was able to confirm that you had a drug addiction problem,” he wrote, adding that the president’s recovery “unfortunately has not taken place.”
That visit to Paris, part of the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, was a high-profile event. However, according to Leyva, Petro extended his stay by nearly two extra days without a clear justification, altering the official decree.
The former minister claims he had to manage media pressure while Petro was missing, justifying the extension with an alleged meeting with an aerospace company that never actually occurred. This incident, described by Leyva as “embarrassing,” became the cornerstone of his accusation.
Petro, for his part, responded on X in a sarcastic tone:
However, this “explanation” has not quelled doubts, especially since Petro did not directly deny the accusation of drug use.
Petro’s stance on drugs has been controversial since his campaign. In February 2025, he claimed that cocaine “is no worse than whiskey” and questioned its illegality, suggesting that the stigma exists because it does not originate in Europe: “If cocaine were Scottish, it would be legal.”
In a country that produces 60% of the world’s cocaine, according to the UN, these words carry significant weight.
Álvaro Leyva’s letter has opened a deep wound in Colombia, but not necessarily because of the drug addiction allegations, which so far remain unsubstantiated.
The truly alarming issue is what it reveals about Petro’s fragile leadership: a president who, with or without addictions, seems unable to unite his team or project stability.
His evasive responses, his reliance on X for communication, and his divisive rhetoric — which Leyva criticizes for “inciting class struggle” — have only worsened polarization.
Colombia, a country still scarred by the impacts of drug trafficking, cannot afford leadership that raises more doubts than certainties.
In any case, if Petro considers himself innocent, he should voluntarily undergo medical testing to silence the rumors he so frequently complains about.
If there is truth in Leyva’s words, then the country faces a governance crisis that demands immediate action.
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