Colombia’s prosecution raided the presidential palace on Tuesday amid growing tensions between President Gustavo Petro and chief prosecutor Francisca Barbosa.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the raid was part of a highly publicized investigation against Petro’s chief of staff, Laura Sarabia, who has been accused abusing her power.
The president said Barbosa “can investigate what he wants,” but added that the government expects a report on paramilitary murders allegedly covered up by top prosecution officials.
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The raid of the presidential palace is the latest of a series of blows dealt by the president, the prosecutor general and Inspector General Margarita Cabello.
Barbosa and Cabello have embarked on multiple controversial investigations into the administration and Petro’s political party, the Historic Pact.
Both officials were appointed by former President Ivan Duque and are close to Duque’s far-right political party, the Democratic Center.
Their investigations were launched ahead of local elections that are set for October.
Both the chief prosecutor and the prosecutor general have been accused of arbitrarily opening and closing investigations against politicians for political rather than judicial purposes.