Petro criticizes the president of Guatemala after tensions over the possible investigation of the Colombian Defense Minister

Velásquez "profoundly" appreciates the expressions of confidence of the Colombian president and insists on fighting corruption

MADRID, 18 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has criticized his Guatemalan counterpart, Alejandro Giammattei, after the statements made by the accusations of the Guatemalan Prosecutor's Office against former high officials, including the current Colombian Defense Minister, Iván Velásquez.

"Sanity in politics means fighting corruption. Those who allow the mafia to take over the state only lead society to genocide," Petro said.

"The history of Guatemala and Colombia are full of genocide for handing over the state to the mafias. The sane ones do not lead societies to the slaughterhouse," added the president through his profile on the social network Twitter.

Petro has made these statements after Giammattei asked him for sanity, as he said in an interview, after the Colombian president called his ambassador in Guatemala, adding that he would not accept an arrest warrant for his minister.

The Prosecutor's Office of the Central American country announced on Monday that it will take legal action against the current Colombian Defense Minister, for his performance before the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), who later denounced that he had not been notified of any requirement and reiterated its commitment to transparency and justice.

After that, Velásquez thanked Petro "deeply" for "his expressions of solidarity and trust." "We know the monster, we have seen it up close and, from different trenches, we have fought it. We know how it transforms and the methods it uses, but it does not frighten us," he insisted.

"I also express my gratitude to my colleagues in the cabinet, to the entire government team and to hundreds of people who have shown me their support and solidarity through various means," he thanked.

"The fight against corruption has to be a purpose, a collective action," he added.