Colombia’s chief prosecutor said Tuesday, feb. 7, 2017, President Juan Manuel Santos’ 2014 re-election campaign may have received a $1 million contribution from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht. (Francisco Seco, File/Associated Press)BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia’s chief prosecutor said Wednesday that suspicions of illegal campaign contributions to President Juan Manuel Santos are based on testimony of a rancher connected to the leader’s opponents. Martinez, formerly a top aide to Santos, said that he alerted electoral authorities so they could investigate whether almost $1 million ended up in Santos’ 2014 re-election campaign. Santos had yet to comment, but his former campaign manager called any claim of a tie to Odebrecht unfounded and libelous. Santos’ aides quickly repeat their assertion that Santos took no private contributions, from individuals or companies, during his 2014 campaign in which he narrowly defeated Uribe’s former finance minister.

Source: Washington Post February 08, 2017 01:34 UTC