Drug trafficking is a pandemic that erodes state structures, Mexico is an example of how authorities of all ranks, civil and military, have succumbed, cartels are real transnational criminals; Colombia is not far behind, it has a long history, not only as the world’s leading exporter of cocaine, but also as politicians at the highest level who came to power by financing drug money.

Ernesto Samper Pizano was president of Colombia from 1994 to 1998; a few days after the victory, Andrés Pastrana publicly announced through some tapes that Samper received money for his campaign from the drug trade.

President Samper defended his innocence all the time and declared that he felt “the victim of a moral attack” and pointed out that “he did not receive any money from the drug trade and that everything would certainly be done behind his back.”

Unfortunately for Samper, in a process known as Process 8000, his campaign treasurer, Santiago Medina, admitted that drug money had indeed entered the presidential campaign; In addition, because of the questions addressed to Medina, the then Minister of Defense Fernando Botero Zeas, the son of the painter Fernando Botero, was also connected to the process, because he was the head of the presidential campaign and was the only one of the defendants who served a prison sentence.

Botero put Samper on the pole when he admitted “that President Samper knew about the introduction of illegal money into his campaign”, with that statement Samper’s image fell to the ground and the political storm did not wait, both internally and externally. outside Colombia. The United States decertified Colombia in the fight against drug trafficking; In addition, he canceled his visa to enter the country, an unprecedented event for an acting head of state.

Fifteen members of the Congressional Committee on Impeachment, after evaluating the evidence provided by the prosecutor, including a video of Pablo Escobar in which he admits to giving money to Samper in 1982 (Samper was Alfonso López’s campaign manager), decided to open an official investigation against the president, in action unprecedented in the history of Colombia.

As is the custom in our Latin American countries, the Congress maneuvered with 111 votes to 43 to file charges against the President of the Republic. Neither guilty nor innocent, the process was stopped, but Samper was stigmatized.

Ernesto Samper in Correa’s government, from a building that cost 43.5 million dollars, served as secretary of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur); now he is part of that club of dictators called the Grupo de Puebla.

History repeats itself, Pandora’s box was opened in Colombia, the president’s son was accused of illegally receiving money from a drug dealer and from disreputable businessmen, part of which he used for his own benefit, and part of which went to the presidential campaign of his father, Gustavo Petro. 2022. This is another “8000 process”, we hope that Peter’s votes will not be saved. (OR)